SALEM, N.H. – Skimpy portion requirements are leading a New Hampshire school district to weigh dropping out of the National School Lunch Program.

The Salem School District is mulling the action after losing $35,000 in the first month of the new school year.

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“The 2014-15 participation is down from 2013-14,” superintendent Michael Delahanty tells the Salem Observer.

“In just a month’s time, we can see a decrease in participation, and we’re certainly concerned that some of that is the difference in the food requirements and the restrictions that are placed on our food services program.”

Federal rules impacting snacks and a la carte items went – championed by First Lady Michelle Obama – into effect July 1.

“According to Delahanty, many students are not big fans of the food that can be offered and are opting not to buy lunches,” the newspaper reports.

“I want to be careful not to convey an impression that I want a diminished nutritional value of the foods we are serving,” the superintendent says.

One of the biggest complaints from school districts, students and parents have been the one-size-fits-all nature of the rules.

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“But we provide the same type of portions to our biggest students as we do to our smallest students, and we are limited in the federal food guidelines on the types of portions we can provide.

“We’re going to have to have some very serious discussions about if we’re even going to continue participating in the federal food service program here at the high school,” Delahanty adds.

He believes the revenue loss can be stemmed by increasing participation by providing meals students want to eat, versus increasing prices and keeping the federal mandates.

Other schools, such as Ohio’s Saint Ignatius school, have dropped the rules and are now serving more appealing meals.

“Once again, the Wildcat Cafe is on the cutting edge of school lunches with the introduction brand-new options catering to students’ tastes and nutritional needs, all of which have been made available by this year’s decision to forgo involvement in the National School Lunch Program,” the student newspaper reported.

“I believe the customer has a right to make a choice,” the campus dining director said.