TO: Board Chairs
FROM: John Nelson, Executive Director
RE: Federal Nutrition Act Wellness
Policy Requirement
DATE: December, 2005
We are enclosing for your
information our newly developed Model Policy on Wellness. As you may be aware, this policy (or one
otherwise complying with the requirements of the law) is required of school
districts that participate in the National School Lunch program. It must be adopted by the beginning of the
2006 school year.
It is particularly important to point out that the
federal law mandates an adoption process for this policy as well as certain
components of each policy. The federal
law requires that this policy be adopted through a process that “Involves
parents, students, and representatives of the school food authority, the school
board, administrators, and the public…”.
Because the law is relatively
restrictive, we have included footnotes in body of the Model Policy. The footnotes are intended to help you
determine why particular policy statements have been included in the
Model. They are not intended to be
included in the policy as finally adopted.
We have purposefully limited
the scope of this Model. It does not
state “best practices” in this area. For
best practices, we suggest that you refer to the “Nutrition Policy Guidelines” recently
issued Vermont Departments of Education and Health, and the Vermont Agency of
Agriculture. Each of the policy statements in this model could be expanded
upon, but doing so would be a local option, not a legal requirement. There will
also be places where you will want to be more specific about some of the policy
statements, again based on your local situations.
We have also included a list
of “Wellness Policy Resources” that we hope will help you in the policy
development process.
If you have questions about
this material, please feel free to contact me.
Cc: Superintendents
Federal Child Nutrition Act Wellness
Policy F28
Purpose. The intent of this Policy is to ensure
compliance with the local policy requirements of the federal Child Nutrition
and WIC Reauthorization Act of 2004.[1] In accord with those requirements, this
Policy has been developed in consultation with parents, students,
representatives of the school food services authority, school administrators
and the public.
Policy Statement.
It is the policy of the
_____________school district to establish goals for nutrition education,
physical activity and other school based activities that are designed to
promote student wellness. With the
objective of promoting student health and reducing childhood obesity, the
district will also establish nutrition guidelines for all foods available at
school during the school day.
I. Goals for
Nutrition Education.[2]
A. The school
district shall provide nutrition education programs as required by state law
and regulations of the State Board of Education. In particular, the district shall provide a
nutrition component in its Comprehensive Health Education program and shall
develop curricular programs intended to accomplish applicable goals enumerated
in the Vermont Framework of Standards and Learning Opportunities.[3]
B. Nutrition
education programs shall be conducted by appropriately licensed staff members.
C. To the
extent practicable, nutrition education shall be integrated into core curricula
in areas, such as science and family and consumer science courses.
II. Goals for
Physical Activity.[4]
A. The
district shall provide physical education classes for all students as required
by Vermont School Quality Standards.
B. The
district shall provide other physical activity opportunities for students
through recess periods in appropriate grades and, as appropriate, before or
after school activities such as interscholastic athletics and physical activity
clubs or intramural sports.
A. The
district shall ensure that guidelines for reimbursable school meals are not
less restrictive than regulations and guidance issued by the Secretary of
Agriculture pursuant to sections (a) and (b) of section 10 of the Child
Nutrition Act and section 9(f)(1) and 17a of the Richard B. Russell National
School Lunch Act as those regulations and guidance apply to schools.[6]
B. The
district shall provide adequate space for eating and serving school meals.
C. The
district shall provide a clean and safe meal environment for students.
D. The
district shall establish meal periods that provide adequate time to eat and are
scheduled at appropriate hours.
E. Food shall
not be used in district schools as a reward or punishment.
F. The
district shall provide training opportunities as appropriate for food service
and other staff members in areas of nutrition and wellness.
IV. Nutrition
Guidelines.[7]
A. No foods of
minimal nutritional value, as listed in 7
B. The sale of
foods during meal periods in food service areas shall be allowed only if all
income from the sale, including the sale of approved foods or drinks from
vending machines, accrues to the benefit of the school, the school food service
program, or the student organizations sponsoring the sale.[9]
C. To the
extent practicable, the district shall ensure that foods offered at school
other than through the National School Lunch or School Breakfast programs,
including foods sold through vending machines, shall comply with the A la Carte
and Vending Guidelines established by the Vermont Departments of Health and
Education.
V. Policy
Implementation.[10]
A. The
superintendent or his or her designee shall monitor district programs and
curriculum to ensure compliance with this policy and any administrative
procedures established to carry out the requirements of this policy.
B. The
superintendent or his or her designee shall report at least annually to the
board on the district’s compliance with law and policies related to student
wellness. The report shall include an
assurance that district guidelines for reimbursable meals are not less
restrictive than regulations and guidelines issued for schools in accordance
with federal law.
Date Warned:
Date Adopted:
Dates Revised:
Legal Reference(s).
·
16 V.S.A. §§131 & 906(b)(3).
·
·
Child Nutrition
Act of 1966, 42 U.S.C. 1771 et seq.
·
Child Nutrition
and WIC Reauthorization Act of 2004, Section 204 of Public Law 108-265.
·
Code of Federal
Regulations, 7
Wellness Policy Resources
General Resources
National School Boards
Association. www.nsba.org.
Action for Healthy
Kids. www.actionforhealthykids.org.
National Association of
State Boards of Education. www.nasbe.org.
Vermont Department of
Education Nutrition Policy Guidelines. http://www.state.vt.us/educ/new/pdfdoc/pgm_nutrition/nutrition_policy_guidelines_05.pdf
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Nutrition Education Section
USDA Team Nutrition. www.fns.usda.gov/tn. Includes ample policy language, examples of
state and local school district policies for nutrition education, and resources
and implementation tools. Go to Local Wellness Policy; then go to Local Wellness Policy Requirements; then
go to Nutrition Education.
Kansas State Department of
Education. www.kn-eat.org/SNP/SNPShell/snp_wellness_policy.htm. Includes
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Physical Activity Section
National Association of
State Boards of Education. http://nasbe.org/HealthySchools/physical_activity.html. Includes Fit,
Healthy, and Ready to Learn: A School Health Policy Guide.
The National
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Other School-Based Activities
Section
National School Boards
Association. www.nsba.org.
Contains a searchable website for wellness policies and other health
related programs such as AIDS-HIV, adolescent health and many other topics and
links.
Center for Disease
Control. www.cdc.gov/healthyyouth/index.htm. Contains model policies and links to state
and local policies.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Nutrition Guidelines Section
.
USDA Team Nutrition. www.fns.usda.gov/tn/Healthy/wellnesspolicy.html. See also
The Menu Planner for
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Policy Implementation Section.
School Nutrition
Association. http://wellness.schoolnutrition.org/content/home.aspx. Includes various samples of monitoring and
policy review procedures.
Action for Healthy
Kids. www.actionforhealthykids.org/docs/specialreports/report_small.pdf.
See Criteria for Evaluating School-Based
Approaches to Increasing Good Nutrition and Physical Activity.
Wellness Policy Resources
General Resources
National School Boards
Association. www.nsba.org.
Action for Healthy
Kids. www.actionforhealthykids.org.
National Association of
State Boards of Education. www.nasbe.org.
Vermont Department of
Education Nutrition Policy Guidelines. http://www.state.vt.us/educ/new/pdfdoc/pgm_nutrition/nutrition_policy_guidelines_05.pdf
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Nutrition Education Section
USDA Team Nutrition. www.fns.usda.gov/tn. Includes ample policy language, examples of
state and local school district policies for nutrition education, and resources
and implementation tools. Go to Local Wellness Policy; then go to Local Wellness Policy Requirements; then
go to Nutrition Education.
Kansas State Department of
Education. www.kn-eat.org/SNP/SNPShell/snp_wellness_policy.htm. Includes
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Physical Activity Section
National Association of
State Boards of Education. http://nasbe.org/HealthySchools/physical_activity.html. Includes Fit,
Healthy, and Ready to Learn: A School Health Policy Guide.
The National
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Other School-Based Activities
Section
National School Boards
Association. www.nsba.org.
Contains a searchable website for wellness policies and other health
related programs such as AIDS-HIV, adolescent health and many other topics and
links.
Center for Disease
Control. www.cdc.gov/healthyyouth/index.htm. Contains model policies and links to state
and local policies.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Nutrition Guidelines Section
.
USDA Team Nutrition. www.fns.usda.gov/tn/Healthy/wellnesspolicy.html. See also
The Menu Planner for
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Policy Implementation Section.
School Nutrition
Association. http://wellness.schoolnutrition.org/content/home.aspx. Includes various samples of monitoring and
policy review procedures.
Action for Healthy
Kids. www.actionforhealthykids.org/docs/specialreports/report_small.pdf.
See Criteria for Evaluating School-Based
Approaches to Increasing Good Nutrition and Physical Activity.
[1] Section
204 of Public Law 108-265.
[2] These goals are intended to be illustrative. Local policy makers should consider the addition of locally established goals. For examples of goals used elsewhere, consult the resources listed in the material accompanying this model policy.
[3] 16 V.S.A. §§131 & 906.
[4] These goals are intended to be illustrative. Local policy makers should consider the addition of locally established goals. For examples of goals used elsewhere, consult the resources listed in the material accompanying this model policy.
[5] These goals are illustrative. Local policy makers should consider the addition of locally established goals. For examples of goals used elsewhere, consult the resources listed in the material accompanying this policy.
[6] This provision is required of schools participating in National School Lunch and Breakfast programs.
[7] The federal law requires that local wellness policies include “nutrition guidelines selected by the local educational agency for all foods available on each school campus…during the school day with the objectives of promoting student health and reducing childhood obesity.” Include locally established guidelines as appropriate.
[8] Required of schools participating in National School Lunch and Breakfast programs.
[9] Required by cited federal regulations.
[10] The Child Nutrition and WIFC Reauthorization Act requires the establishment of “a plan for measuring implementation of the local wellness policy, including the designation of 1 person within the local education agency or at each school, as appropriate, charged with operational responsibility for ensuring that the school meets the local wellness policy.” For examples of implementation plans, consult the references cited in the materials accompanying this model policy.