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FARMINGTON, Utah (AP) -- One school has removed all student vending machines in the wake of the Davis School District charging schools fees to cover the cost of power for such machines.
"It was going to cost too much," said Bryon Nielsen, principal at South Davis Junior High School.
The six machines were taken out Tuesday. He said he expects to hear complaints from students, but keeping the machines didn't make sense.
The district is now charging $25 per month per soda machine and $5 per month per snack machine.
Schools can use profits from vending machines in any way they want. Nielsen said his school used the funds many ways, including to buy extra textbooks and provide incentives to students.
However, when he heard of the new cost to have them, he said he knew he wouldn't make any extra money. His school only brought in $1,000 from the vending profits and that would have been almost equal to what their district fees would be.
"They said it would save the district $100,000 a year," Nielsen said. "In a sense, they are taking it from us."
Superintendent Bryan Bowles said he is not attempting to "nickel and dime" schools as some principals have claimed.
"Every year we come to the table looking at how we can squeeze out more savings," Bowles said. "We look for every place to squeeze."
(Copyright 2005 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
