Middle, High School Students Can Still Buy Sodas Under Deal

Aug. 23–Charleston County’s middle and high school students can continue to buy sodas at school.

The school board voted unanimously Monday to amend the district’s exclusive vending contract with Pepsi, but not by much. The recommended change won’t cost the district anything.

It will require that Pepsi machines in middle and high schools limit soda selections to 50 percent. The other half must offer students bottled water, sports drinks and juices. Student access to the machines won’t change.

Vending selections in elementary schools won’t change, since those machines are located in teachers’ lounges.

A district task force on health and nutrition had recommended getting rid of all carbonated drinks from Pepsi machines districtwide. Responding to a district query, The Pepsi Bottling Co. gave the district four options for amending the contract. Both Pepsi and the district recommended the same option. Two others would have required the district refund Pepsi for expected lost revenue over the remaining two years of the five-year agreement.

A fourth option would have required extending the contract another five years.

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