School Health Legislation

For the purpose of addressing obesity and to promote healthy eating and physical activity through changes in school environments Congress passed the Child Nutrition and WIC Reauthorization Act of 2004. This policy designates that each local education agency (LEA) participating in federal school meal programs such as the National School Lunch or Breakfast Program, shall establish a local school wellness policy by the 2006-07 school year. This is applicable to elementary, middle, junior, and high schools in the nation.

At a minimum, the policy developed must contain:

1. Goals for nutrition education
2. Goals for physical activity
3. Goals for school based activities designed to promote student wellness
4. Nutrition guidelines for all foods available on each school campus during the school day with objectives for promoting health and reducing childhood obesity
5. Assurances that guidelines for reimbursable school meals are not less restrictive than federal guidelines
6. Establishes a plan for measuring implementation of the policy – with 1 or more persons responsible for ensuring the school meets the policy
7. Policy development must include involvement of parents, students, representatives of school food authority, school board, school administrators, and the public. Schools can utilize existing school health councils or form a new one.

www.fns.usda.gov/tn/Healthy/wellnesspolicy.html

http://www.actionforhealthykids.org/resources_wp.php

http://www.extension.iastate.edu/Publications/N3469.pdf

www.NCHealthyWeight.com

http://www.nasbe.org/HealthySchools/physical_activity.html

http://www.cspinet.org/schoolfood/

http://www.schoolwellnesspolicies.org/WellnessResources.html

Texas Law: SB 19 Realizing the problem of rising obesity rates among children prompted the 77 th Texas Legislature to pass Senate Bill 19 May of 2001. The bill addresses children’s health by acknowledging a change within the existing school environment for daily physical activity in public schools and a coordinated school health approach aimed at reducing the risk of obesity, cardiovascular disease, and Type 2 diabetes in elementary school students. Under this law, each elementary school in Texas must participate in training and implement a coordinated school health program approved by the Texas Education Agency (TEA). The CATCH program was approved by TEA in October of 2002.   Senate bill 19 had 3 main components addressing healthier school environments. The 3 components are:  

1. Minutes of Physical Activity - State Board of Education, after consulting with educators, parents, and medical professionals may require students in grades K - 6th, to participate in 30 minutes of daily structured physical activity or 135 minutes per week. This may occur as part of a school district’s physical education curriculum or through structured activity during recess.

2.SHAC Committees - The trustees of each school district shall establish a local School Health Advisory Council (SHAC) to assist the district in ensuring that local community values are reflected in the districts health education instruction. The district must consider the recommendations of the SHAC committee which includes recommending the number of hours of instruction to be provided in health education. A majority of the members must be persons who are parents of students enrolled in the district and who are not employed by the district. (SHAC’s were reauthorized in the 79 th legislature 2005 in SB 42).

3.Coordinated School Health Programs – TEA shall make available to districts approved coordinated school health programs designed to prevent obesity, cardiovascular disease, and Type 2 diabetes. The program must provide for coordinating health education, physical education and activity, nutrition services, and parental involvement. Each district must participate in training and implement a coordinated school health program by 2007.

Further information on SB 19/1357 and approved coordinated school health programs can be found at:

http://www.tea.state.tx.us/sboe/schedule/0302/74-032n-ltr.html

http://staffweb.esc12.net/~mbooth/documents/links_description/sb19_resources.htm

In March of 2004 the Texas Department of Agriculture released a new Texas Public School Nutrition Policy in efforts to continue the pursuit towards healthier school environments. The following text contains highlights of the policy with links for further information.

From the Texas Department of Agriculture:

Food and Nutrition Division Revised 6/1/04

Elementary Schools

A. Foods of Minimal Nutritional Value (FMNV) Policy

Elementary school campuses may not serve or provide access for students toFMNV and all other forms of candy at any time anywhere on school premisesuntil the end of the last scheduled class. Such foods and beverages may not be sold or given away to students on school premises by school administrators or staff (principals, coaches, teachers, etc.), students or student groups, parents or parent groups, or anyother person, company or organization.

B. Nutrition Standards

The following specific nutrition standards pertain to all foods and beverages served or made available to students on elementary school campuses. Thisincludes school meals, a la carte and the nutritious classroom snacks.

1. Fats and Fried Foods:

a) Schools and other vendors may not serve food items containing more than 28 grams of fat per serving size more than twice per week. The goal is to reduce this to 23 grams of fat per serving size by the start of the 2006-07 school year.

b) French fries and other fried potato products must not exceed 3 ounces per serving, may not be offered more than once per week,and students may only purchase one serving at a time. (This does not pertain to potato chips, which are mentioned specifically in “2. Portion Sizes,” below.) We recommend that all such products be baked instead of fried.

c) Baked potato products (wedges, slices, whole, new potatoes) that are produced from raw potatoes and have not been pre- fried, flashfried or deep fat-fried in any way may be served without restriction.

d) Schools should eliminate frying as a method of on-site preparation for foods served as part of school meals, a la carte, snack lines and competitive foods. This policy should be implemented by the 2005-06 school year in schools that do not need to make equipment changes or facility modifications to do so. A transition period for implementation is allowed for schools needing to make equipment changes or facility modifications, but all schools must be in compliance by the 2009-10 school year.

2. Other:

a) Fruit and/or vegetables should be offered daily on all points of service. Fruits and vegetables should be fresh whenever possible.Frozen and canned fruits should be packed in natural juice, water or light syrup.

b) Schools must offer 2 percent, 1 percent or skim milk at all points where milk is served.

c) It is the goal of this policy that all beverages served in elementary schools would be milk, unflavored water and 100 percent fruit and/or vegetable juice by the start of the 2006-07 school year.

d) Schools serving chips should use reduced fat (no more than 5 grams of fat per ounce) or baked varieties whenever possible.

C. Competitive Foods and Snacks

An elementary school campus may not serve competitive foods (or provide access to them through direct or indirect sales) to students anywhere on school premises throughout the school day until the end of the last scheduled class. This does not pertain to food items made available by the school food service department. Elementary classrooms may allow one nutritious snack per day under the teacher’s supervision. The snack may be in the morning or afternoon but may not be at the same time as the regular meal periods for that class. The snack may be provided by the school food service, the teacher, parents or other groups and should be at no cost to students. The snack must comply with the fat and sugar limits of the Public School Nutrition Policy and may not contain any FMNVs or consist of candy or dessert type items (cookies, cakes, cupcakes, pudding, ice cream or frozen desserts, etc.)

Additional information can be obtained from:

www.squaremeals.org

http://www.agr.state.tx.us/media/press_releases/0304/com_030304overview.htm

http://www.fns.usda.gov/cnd/menu/fmnv.htm