The Kirk County School District board voted unanimously to adopt a new wellness policy (EFA), endorsing districtwide guidance on nutrition, physical activity and staff wellness while noting scheduling and implementation questions.
The policy, drafted after review of the Oregon Department of Education guidance and sample language from OSBA, was revised by district staff and a multidisciplinary committee before coming to the board. The policy passed after the board approved minor wording edits (changing “health” to “healthy” in one header and adjusting capitalization). A roll-call vote recorded all members present voting yes.
Why it matters: A wellness policy governs school nutrition, physical-education goals, staff health supports and periodic evaluation; state auditors review whether districts maintain an up-to-date wellness policy. The district’s policy also commits to a three-year evaluation cycle required by state guidance.
Key points and discussion: The policy includes a physical-activity provision that states at least 50% of weekly physical-education class time in grades K–8 should be devoted to actual physical activity. Board members questioned whether that level is achievable given current scheduling structures (trimester and semester schedules) and asked staff to confirm how the requirement is calculated across the school year. District staff told the board the figure aligns with Division 22 standards and that middle-school scheduling had required creative solutions in the past.
The policy was developed by a committee that included community members, PE teachers, curriculum and nutrition staff; district staff said the Oregon Department of Education reviewed the document during a nutrition services audit and found the policy sound but flagged that the district previously lacked an active policy because the prior policy had expired. The board approved the policy on a motion and second with unanimous support.
Next steps: District staff will implement the policy, perform the required three-year evaluation, and work with schools to ensure schedules and extracurricular offerings collectively meet the stated activity goals.