Board members Greg Haws and Mark Cluff would rather see the board's ban turn into recommendations that school districts can put in place, or not.

"I will not support a rule that usurps local control," Cluff said. "I think we as a state should recommend (guidelines) ... but I think it should be a recommendation to the local school boards to implement as they see fit."

The comments followed a presentation from Coke and Pepsi executives, representing the American Beverage Association, plus apparent flak from school districts fearing a shrunken wallet. Vending machine revenues, at some high schools, are in the $25,000 range and fund student activities. Statewide, schools take in $3.75 million a year in vending machine sales, a legislative audit found last year.

The association, with the Alliance for a Healthier Generation, last year approved guidelines to offer only water and juice, in smaller serving sizes, in elementary- and middle-school vending machines, and seeks to offer those, plus low-calorie sports and carbonated drinks, in high schools by fall 2009. Swire Coca-Cola vice president of cold drink Raleigh Lockhart cited several steps taken toward that goal.

Still, upping nutrition has downed profits.

"I think the realities are, we're going to see some sizeable decreases in funding (for schools), potentially half or even more," said Paul Van Slooten, vice president and general manager of the Pepsi Bottling Group's Salt Lake City Market Unit. But as the trend toward sports drinks and vitamin water forges ahead, revenues could build back up, executives said.

Van Slooten asked the board to adopt his group's recommendations as the health and wellness policy for Utah schools, giving the beverage association more power to bring its ideas to fruition.

Haws said snack food companies, which were not part of the beverage group's movement, would come on board with their example.

"We see one industry that's stepping forward and self-governing ... (our proposal) says we don't trust them, support them, instead of saying, thank you for these efforts," Haws said. "They are taking a financial risk here."

But the board's finance committee ultimately voted to stay the course with a proposed ban. It also asked to more specific definitions on sugars, so as to not ban that contained in fruits, and what a faculty room is.

"We're pitting lost revenue against children's health," said board vice chairwoman Janet Cannon in the committee meeting, "and really, what's most important?"

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E-mail: jtcook@desnews.com