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COLORADO SPRINGS, COLO. -- The U.S. Department of Agriculture will allow schools to opt out of the low-cost ground beef filler nicknamed "pink slime" starting in the 2012-2013 school year.

The decision comes after growing concern over the ammonia hydroxide-treated beef for the federal school lunch program.

"Pink Slime" is the definition of over processed food, it's the result of spending too much time with what we're going to eat. Where as, when you have a good ground beef it shows, it's evident, it looks like a hamburger, it looks like ground beef," John Zebarth, a District-11 Parent said.

Next school year, the USDA will offer schools a choice between beef patties made with the filler or bulk ground beef without it.

The USDA said the filler is safe, but wanted to be responsive to schools that ask for a choice.

"It wasn't that alarming to [D-11] that this was happening because we know about food and we know what's in the food so, we've taken a higher ground," Rick Hughes, Dir. of Food Services for District-11

The higher ground Hughes referenced is Colorado Springs District 11's "Good Food Project" which was implemented three years ago.

The project serves food free of growth hormones, antibiotics, and dyes focusing more on fresh fruits, whole grains, and vegetables.

Healthy eating extends to the meats they serve, for the last 4-5 years they have served beef from Ranch Foods Direct.

The local company boasts hormone-antibiotic free cattle.

"I want people to care about the food we're serving their children because it matters," Hughes said.

So what are our other local districts doing about the "pink slime"?

Academy School District 20 said, "Sodexo is in charge of our food services and they say they aren't using the filler and do not intend to."

Harrison District 2 said, "We have not been using ["pink slime"], so it's not a problem."

Widefield School District 3 said, "We do not and have not used ["pink slime"]."

We reached out to Cheyenne Mountain District 12 but their superintendent was out of the office Thursday.