Students wanting to quench their thirst with a can of soda may soon have to give up their sugary beverages and switch to fruit juices. The state Senate recently passed a bill, the first of its kind nationally, to ban soda sales at elementary schools and limit soda intake at junior high and middle schools—but the bill still awaits Gov. Gray Davis' signature.

The bill mandates that soda sales at junior high and middle schools be limited to before- and after-school hours and that all California elementary schools be devoid of soft drinks, with restrictions taking effect July 1.

San Jose Unified School District spokesperson Karen Fuqua said that during the past three years, almost all of Willow Glen's middle schools have already switched to selling water and fruit juices. And, she added, local elementary schools have never sold soda to students.

Fuqua said the only school that still sells sodas, Willow Glen Middle School, probably still sells soft drinks because, to date, no parent or faculty member has tried to remove the beverages from the campus.

Historically, soda-sale profits have gone to student extracurricular activities. But she said that as more schools have moved towards selling juice and water, the beverage changes haven't had a negative monetary effect at Willow Glen schools.

According to Fuqua, the movement away from selling soda began about three years ago at Burnett Academy in San Jose. Since then, with encouragement from parents, principals, or faculty members, most schools have been electing to prohibit soda sales.

—Amy Wicks