A plan to put new filtered-water vending machines in two local schools is generating controversy, but is the fee-based-filling of water bottles something parents and students should be concerned about?
While a barrage of media coverage expressing anti-vending machine sentiment makes it seem like an entire community is protesting students being forced to pay for water, local Trustee Irene Atkinson claims that is simply not true.
"Some parents like to create a crisis and I've heard from a total of three," Atkinson said. "There is a red herring going around that this is a revenue-generating scheme, which is not true."
The two $10,000 machines were planned to be installed at Fern Avenue Public School and Parkdale Collegiate Institute, but Atkinson has decided to hold a public meeting at Fern on Thursday, March 11 (7 p.m.) to make sure the community is still behind the project.
Students at Fern Avenue Public school were major players in spearheading the plan more than a year ago, which would offer chilled and filtered tap water for 50 cents or flavoured water for $1. The idea was that using the vending machine would promote use of refillable water bottles and put the school closer to its goal of being recognized as a platinum EcoSchool while also eliminating unhealthy drinks such as pop from their halls. This positions the school to adhere to a new Ontario regulation, allowing schools to only sell nutritional food and drink to students as of Sept. 1, 2011.
It was made clear by Atkinson that by no means would students be forced to pay for drinking water. There would still be several water fountains in the school to provide clean and regularly tested water, just as they always have.
"It was because Fern was so very interested that it was chosen as a location for this pilot project," Atkinson said. "As far as I'm concerned, it's simply giving more choice to students."
In the public meeting, Atkinson said she will gauge the true feelings of the community and if there is overwhelming opposition, she will not install the vending machines.
"This matter was not a deep, dark secret. It was discussed three or four times at the school's advisory committee and posted on the school blog," Atkinson said. "It is true that letters were not sent home to parents, but one of the reasons is because they are trying to save paper so they can achieve EcoSchool platinum status."
Money generated by the vending machine would be used to offset the costs of purchasing and operating the units, which Atkinson expects will take several years.