What is a School Wellness Policy?

Children who are healthy are ready to learn. Students who learn about the importance of physical activity and good nutrition are able to make healthy choices. Learning to make healthy choices helps children reduce the likelihood of obesity as adults. Obesity is a concern because it can lead to Type 2 diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, stroke, some types of cancer, and gallbladder disease. With the increase in childhood obesity, children are now being diagnosed with these diseases. In the 2006-2007 school year, federal and state laws were established requiring school districts to develop a school wellness policy.  Annually, KSDE-Child Nutrition and Wellness department conducts an assessment of the district’s school wellness policy. To see the results of this assessment: https://datacentral.ksde.org/nutrition_reports.aspx