Local Wellness

Local School Wellness began when the Child Nutrition and WIC Reauthorization Act of 2004 required all districts to establish local school wellness policies by School Year 2006‐2007, with a goal of promoting student health, preventing childhood obesity, and combating problems associated with poor nutrition and physical inactivity.

The Healthy, Hunger‐Free Kids Act of 2010 expanded the scope of wellness policies by adding nutrition promotion to the goals addressed in policies, bringing additional stakeholders to its development, implementation and review, and requiring public updates on the content, assessment, and implementation of the wellness policies (Section 204). These requirements went into effect June 2017.

The intent is to strengthen local school wellness policies, so they become useful tools in evaluating, establishing and maintaining healthy school environments, and to provide transparency to the public on key areas that affect the nutrition environment in each school.

State Nutrition Policy 4321.1’s Local School Wellness Policy Requirements

1. Address in policy how foods will be managed at school parties/celebrations.
2. Address in policy how students with food allergies and special diets will be managed and who will be responsible for ensuring that the policy is followed.
3. Address in policy that schools must allow adequate time for student meal consumption – 10 minutes for breakfast and 20 minutes for lunch after the student receives a meal.
4. Address in policy that no food and beverages should be sold, served, or distributed in competition with the Federal Child Nutrition Program on school campuses during the meal service.
5. Address in policy that the sale, service, or distribution of any foods or beverages containing caffeine, non-nutritive/artificial sweeteners are prohibited.
6. Address in policy that food and beverages shall not be offered as a reward and/or used as a means of punishment for disciplinary action for any student during the school day.

Federal Local Wellness Policy (LWP) Requirements

1. LWP must include, at a minimum, goals for nutrition education, nutrition promotion, physical activity, and other school‐based activities to promote student wellness, as well as nutrition guidelines for all foods available on school campus.
2. LEAs are required to involve parents, students, teachers of physical education, and school health professionals and representatives of the school food authority, the school board, school administrators, and the public in the development of LWP.
3. The stakeholders named above are required to participate in the development, implementation, periodic review, and update of the LWP.
4. LEAs are required to develop nutrition guidelines for foods sold and foods provided, but not sold to students.
5. LEAs must ensure that food marketing on campus meets the A Guide to Smart Snacks in School guidelines.
6. LEAs can determine the specific policies appropriate for the schools under their jurisdiction, provided that those policies include all required elements specified in the Act.
7. LEAs are required to inform and update the public (including parents, students, and others in the community) about the content and implementation of the LWP.
8. LEAs are required to establish a plan for measuring implementation, to measure periodically, and make available to the public an assessment on the implementation of LWP every three years. The assessment must include the extent to which schools are in compliance with LWP, the extent to which the LWP compares to model LWP, and to describe the progress made in attaining goals of LWP.
9. LEAs are required to establish a plan for measuring implementation of the LWP, including designation of one or more LEA officials or school officials, as appropriate, charged with operational responsibility for ensuring that each school complies with the LWP.

Local Wellness Resources, Recognition Opportunities, and Assessment Options

Resources – USDA

The USDA administers the National School Lunch Program under which the Local School Wellness Mandate falls. They provide a number of resources, including a model wellness policy and assessment tools for evaluating local school wellness policies on their website. 

Recognition Opportunity - Healthier US School Challenge: Smarter Lunchrooms

The Healthier US School Challenge: Smarter Lunchrooms is open to all Team Nutrition schools participating in the National School Lunch Program and School Breakfast Program. We recognize that changing the school nutrition environment takes time and celebrates both the gradual changes and big successes of schools working diligently to help children eat more healthily and be more physically active. Schools can submit an application at any time during the year for a Bronze, Silver, Gold, or Gold of Distinction level award. 

To learn more and submit an application visit the Healthier US School Challenge website.

School Health Index

The School Health Index (SHI), developed by the Center for Disease Control, has been adopted by both Alliance for a Healthier Generation and Action for Healthy Kids. It is designed to help schools look at their policies revolving around health and safety and then create an action plan to improve and strengthen those policies. 

Assessment Option - USDA

Well SAT 3.0 and Well SAT 3.0i

The Well SAT 3.0 developed by researchers at the RUDD Center when it was at Yale University is to be used to assess Wellness Policies strength. A draft of the Well SAT 3.0i (the “i” is for “implementation) is available on their website. The West Virginia Department of Education is currently using the Well SAT 3.0 to evaluate and provide feedback to counties on their Wellness Policies. More about these assessments is available on the RUDD Center website.

School and Community Actions for Nutrition (SCAN) Survey

Developed by the University of California Davis Nutrition Department, the SCAN assessment is a rubric designed to score a Wellness Policy, its implementation, and then used as an action plan for improving the school environment.