Wellness policy requirement serves up healthy schools

By the beginning of school year 2006-07, federal law requires local education agencies (LEAs) that participate in the school lunch program to have a school wellness policy in place. This article addresses some of the questions surrounding this critical topic.

What are the requirements of a wellness policy?

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food & Nutrition Service (FNS), a wellness policy should include four basic components:

• nutrition education goals,
• physical activity goals,
• nutrition standards, and
• other school-based activities.

The FNS recommends that local education agencies assess their individual needs before developing a policy. Policies should be reasonable and realistic.

Who should be involved?

When developing a wellness policy, the LEA must involve parents, students, school administrators, the school board, representatives of the school food authority, and the public. The law also says that LEAs must measure the effectiveness of their policies and should designate at least one person – at the district level or in each school – who determines compliance with the policy.  

How do we create a wellness policy?

Start by joining “Team Nutrition,” an initiative of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food & Nutrition Service. This initiative, which supports child nutrition programs through training, technical assistance and education, has numerous resources available. To join Team Nutrition, go to www.fns.usda.gov/tn/ and click on “Join the Team.”

You’ll also want to form a team to work on assessing the LEA’s wellness needs. Once this assessment has been done and input has been gathered from local stakeholders, the committee will be ready to develop its wellness policy. Some items for consideration within each component are listed below:

1. Nutrition education: Think about nutrition in the health or physical education curriculum. Consider ways to incorporate nutrition into core classes such as science, math and reading. How can you link the cafeteria to the classroom? Can you provide education for parents and families?

2. Physical activity: Consider the minimum amount of time students are physically active during the school day. Would programs such as walking clubs and before- and after-school activity programs be beneficial? How can you make classrooms more active?

3. Nutrition standards: What are your standards for food products in vending machines or school stores? Do you have guidelines for snacks served in classrooms, especially when it comes to special occasions? What about fund-raising activities that center on food or beverages?

4. Other school-based activities: Think about how you can encourage teachers, parents, administrators, food-service professionals and others to be role models for healthy eating and physical activity. Consider educational opportunities for teachers and staff. Ask questions such as: Do we provide opportunities for students to eat healthy foods such as fresh fruits and vegetables?

The South Dakota Department of Education will be writing a sample policy for schools. In addition, examples of school wellness policies can be found on the Team Nutrition Web site at www.fns.usda.gov/tn/Healthy/wellness_samplepolicies.html.

Back to Top