Trousdale County—District staff told the Trousdale County Board of Education on Sept. 1 that each of the county's three schools had achieved recognition from the Alliance for a Healthier Generation in the category of supporting school health services.

The presenter, identified in the meeting as Miss Atwood, said the applications highlighted nine areas the district could submit for and that the district applied in the health-services category. "We were lucky enough — we applied for one thing and all three schools achieved that status," she said during the board's school highlights segment.

The presenter said the district was one of 49 Tennessee school systems that submitted for awards and that only 11 schools in Tennessee received the recognition in their categories. She said the district emphasized school nurses, support from principals and programs such as the district backpack food program when compiling the application.

Board members and staff linked the district's out-of-class nutrition supports to health outcomes. A board member thanked volunteers who run the backpack program and noted the program's role in addressing weekend nutrition for students who might otherwise miss meals.

Why it matters: The recognition was cited by district staff as an external validation of practices the district identified as priorities — nurse services, local wellness policy implementation, nutrition access, physical education time, health education, social-emotional learning, tobacco-free policies, staff well-being and family/community engagement. The board heard that these items are part of ongoing work rather than changes driven solely by competition for awards.

Board members said the district plans to build on the recognition and may apply in additional categories in coming years. The presenter noted that larger or similarly sized districts had pursued the full set of nine award areas, and the district may consider broader applications in the future.