The 2010 Childhood Nutrition Reauthorization signed into law last week won’t cause big changes in Ann Arbor or Ypsilanti schools. But the law reaffirms work already being done in those districts, officials say.

Officials in both districts say the legislation merely confirms that school wellness policies enacted in the past were good decisions. While some students may prefer to have less healthy options like pizza and cheeseburgers, Ypsilanti Superintendent Dedrick Martin said parents are happy about healthier options.

“Healthy foods aren’t always the most popular thing for children, but it’s something that a lot of parents and educators will be able to support,” he said.

Aspects of the bill, like the nutrition standards for competitive foods, will have to be developed and put out for public comment, meaning school districts don’t know what changes will have to be made yet. The final meal pattern requirements will be released in 2012.

Ypsilanti Public Schools spokeswoman Emma Jackson said the district had already made a lot of the changes the legislation was promoting — such as removing pop from vending machines in favor of juice and water and putting in healthier snacks in lieu of candy.

She said the legislation would only add to the district’s work in promoting healthy eating.

“We’ve made a lot of changes in our menu, it’s a fairly balanced and nutritional menu,” she said. “This is only going to enhance what we’ve done providing some funding for the changes.”

The law means an extra $4.5 billion will be used for federal reimbursements for free school lunches, or about 6 cents per meal. The bill is part of President Barack Obama’s administration-wide movement to curb childhood obesity and was championed by First Lady Michelle Obama.

Sara Aeschbach, director of education and recreation for Ann Arbor Public Schools, said she's anticipating the funding will grow the Farm to School movement the district participates in.

The provisions in the law that provide additional funding for free lunches in schools will help ensure the survival of those programs, she said.

“As more of our students face food insecurity, this law will cut some of the red tape that makes it difficult to provide nutritious meals,” she said, “both in school as well as after school and over the summer months.”

School districts around the country can expect to see funding from the legislation come in the 2012-13 school year, according to a fact sheet released by the federal government.

About 22 percent of students attending AAPS are eligible for free or reduced lunch, translating into about 3,600 students.

The additional funding will likely have a stronger impact in Ypsilanti, where more than two-thirds of the school district is eligible for free or reduced lunch — about 2,600 students.

Martin said more money is always nice, but he’s not anticipating enough money to solve some of the district’s other financial issues.

“Just based on the sheer number of students that we have that have free or reduced lunch, it will be a help to us,” he said. “But, we’re not anticipating a significant boon in funding that will help solve some of our larger issues.”

Kyle Feldscher covers K-12 education for AnnArbor.com. He can be reached at kylefeldscher@annarbor.com.