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Don't worry, kids. Neither the Duval County nor the St. Johns County school systems intends to follow New York City's recent announcement it will ban snack foods in schools.
The New York City ban on candy bars, soda and other junk food came in response to student obesity. A study by The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention concluded that about 20 percent of third- and-sixth grade students in New York were obese.
But George Latimer, associate superintendent of Duval County Public Schools, said he hasn't heard from any parents worried about the sale of junk food on school property. Besides, he said, the revenue the school system gains from such sales goes a long way toward funding school programs, including athletics.
The Duval County school system receives $1 million annually from PepsiCo Inc., which has the exclusive contract for soda sales, and that money funds athletic programs, Latimer said.
"I don't...