The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) ruled that all foods sold during the school day must meet certain nutrient standards. The rule also states food sold at bake sales must meet these standards and cannot compete with the school lunch. Vice Principal Brittany Wiseman said Homecoming and Dance Marathon will be the two exempt fund-raisers that Indiana allows for each school.  During exempt days the nutrient standards do not apply, but the items sold must still be store bought.

“This is all part of the lunch program. It’s for participants in the school lunch program, which is also part of the breakfast program,” Wiseman said.

Living Hope Club, which spreads awareness on female infanticide, plans to fund-raise outside of school and partner with the Center for Global Impact, an organization that helps women in Cambodia, according to Grace Miller, co-vice president and junior.

Miller said, “I think that we will definitely have to find new ways to fund-raise. It might hurt our fund-raising because the previous year that’s our primary source of funds.”

Wiseman said there are many opportunities to fund-raise. She said that if clubs send people representing their club to a restaurant, the restaurant will donate 10 percent of the money made that night.

“The last club that turned some in, I think made $375, and they just had people go eat at Which Wich during that day,” Wiseman said, “(Clubs) have really good luck with students making money by participating with the Hamilton County Parks and Recreation. They pay for students to help with community events that they do, and they make tons of money compared to bake sales.”

Wiseman said, although bake sales and in-school fund-raisers are no longer allowed,  clubs can still sell products outside of school in order to fund-raise for their clubs.

“Honestly from what I see, clubs don’t make a lot of money from bake sales. I think it has to do with the camaraderie of getting together, going shopping getting the items, sitting at a lunch table together, conversing with the people that come up to you that you talk about your club, maybe you can gain membership that way, but I don’t think people raise that much money. The biggest hit might be too when we bring in outside food sources,” Wiseman said.