Student Welfare and Wellness
The health and safety of pupils shall be a priority consideration in all Board decisions.
The Board is committed to providing school environments that promote and protect student health, well-being, and ability to learn by supporting healthy eating and physical activity. To this end, the Board supports school efforts to implement the following:
- To the maximum extent practicable, schools will participate in available federal school meal programs.
- Schools will provide and promote nutrition education and physical education to foster lifelong habits of healthy eating and physical activity and will establish linkages between health education, school meal programs, and related community services.
- All schools containing grades K-5 or any combination thereof, shall develop and implement an individual wellness policy per KRS 160.345 and Board Policy 02.4241.
Wellness Leadership
The Superintendent/designee will direct District officials (“wellness leadership group”) to monitor compliance with this and related policies. At the school level, the Principal/designee will monitor compliance with those policies in his/her school and will report on the school's compliance as directed by the Superintendent/designee.
The wellness leadership group shall work to encourage and support all students to be physically active on a regular basis as provided by school/council policy. Each school shall review and consider evidence-based strategies to set measurable goals in providing nutrition education and engaging in nutrition promotion to positively influence lifelong eating behaviors.
Suggested language may include goals related to activities and opportunities:
- offered at each grade level as part of a sequential, comprehensive, standards-based program designed to provide students with the knowledge and skills necessary to promote and protect their health;
- offered as part of not only health education classes, but also classroom instruction in subjects such as math, science, language arts, social sciences, and elective subjects;
- that include enjoyable, developmentally-appropriate, culturally-relevant, participatory activities, such as contests, promotions, taste testing, farm visits, and school gardens;
- that promote fruits, vegetables, whole grain products, low-fat and fat-free dairy products, healthy food preparation methods, and health-enhancing nutrition practices;
- that emphasize caloric balance between food intake and energy expenditure (physical activity/exercise);
- that link with school meal programs, other school foods, and nutrition-related community services;
- that teach media literacy with an emphasis on food marketing; and
- that include training for teachers and other staff.
Physical Activity and Physical Education
- Each school council of a school containing grades K-5 or any combination thereof, or if there is no school council, the Principal, shall develop and implement a wellness policy that includes moderate to vigorous physical activity each day and encourages healthy choices among students consistent with KRS 160.345 and Board Policy 02.4241.
- The policy may permit physical activity to be considered part of the instructional day, (not to exceed thirty (30) minutes/day or 150 minutes/week) and also in compliance with the school calendar regulation, 702 KAR 007:140 and Board Policy 08.1346.
District Wellness Plan/Public and Staff Input
The District shall actively seek to engage students, parents, physical and/or health education teachers, school food service professionals, school health professionals, school board members, school administrators, and other interested community members in developing, implementing, monitoring, and reviewing this Policy and in providing input on the District Wellness Plan.
The District shall permit community participation in the student wellness process by:
- Making a nutrition and physical activity report to be prepared by the School Nutrition Director available to the public on the District website no later than sixty (60) days prior to the public forum covered in KRS 158.156. (702 KAR 006:090)
- Discussing the findings of the nutrition report and physical activity report and seeking public comments during a publicly advertised special Board meeting or at the next regularly scheduled Board meeting following the release of the nutrition and physical activity reports.
- Holding an advertised public forum by January 31 of each year, to present a plan to improve the school nutrition and physical activities in the District in accordance with KRS 158.856.
The Superintendent shall submit the wellness plan that includes a summary of the findings and recommendations of the nutrition and physical activity report as required by May 1 of each year to the Kentucky Department of Education (KDE).
The Wellness Plan submitted to KDE shall include within the findings and recommendations the following:
- Extent to which the District is in compliance with this Policy;
- A comparison of how the District measures up to model wellness policies provided by recognized state and national authorities; and
- A description of the measurable progress made towards reaching goals of the District wellness policy and addressing any gaps identified in the wellness report for the previous year.
Recordkeeping
The District and each school in the District shall maintain the following records:
- A copy of the written wellness policy or plan;
- Documentation on how the policy and assessments are made available to the public;
- The most recent assessment of implementation of the policy;
- Documentation of efforts to review and update the policy, including who was involved in the process and how stakeholders were made aware of their ability to participate; and
- Documentation demonstrating compliance with annual public notification requirements and annual reporting to the KDE.
Standards and Nutrition Guidelines for all Foods and Beverages
Foods and beverages sold during the school day shall be done in accordance with state and federal regulations and Board Policies 07.111 and 07.12.
Standards for All Foods and Beverages Sold to Students
Foods and beverages sold or served at school shall be consistent with the state and federal regulations for school meal nutrition standards. Nutrition guidelines for all foods and beverages served or sold on campus shall be maintained by the Superintendent/designee and made available upon request. The Superintendent shall designate an individual or individuals to monitor compliance of beverages and food sold ala carte with state and federal nutrition requirements.
Qualified child nutrition professionals will provide students with access to a variety of affordable, nutritious, and appealing foods that meet the health and nutrition needs of students; will accommodate the religious, ethnic, and cultural diversity of the student body in meal planning; and will provide clean, safe, and pleasant settings and adequate time for students to eat.
Standards for All Foods and Beverages Provided but Not Sold to Students
- When possible, rewards given to students shall be other than food/beverage items. When food/beverage items are used as rewards, such items shall comply with nutritional guidelines set out in 7 C.F.R 210.11 and 702 KAR 6:090. KAR 006:090.
- Foods and beverages.
- Foods and beverages provided in school, but not made available for sale, shall meet standards outlined in the schools’ individual wellness plan (if applicable) and will not conflict with District Policy.
Food and Beverage Marketing
All marketing on the school campus during the school day shall be of only those foods and beverages that meet the nutrition standards of the Smart Snack in School Nutrition Standards (7 C.F.R 210.11 and 702 KAR 006:090).
References:
P. L. 111-296
7 C.F.R. Part 210
7 C.F.R. Part 220
U. S. Dept. of Agriculture’s Dietary Guidelines for Americans
Related Policies:
02.4241; 07.1; 07.111; 07.12; 08.1346
Adopted/Amended: 7/27/2017
Order #: 17-175