District staff propose updated school wellness policy, expand committee and clarify annual review

Madison County Schools staff presented a revised school wellness policy to the board on Feb. 6, proposing wording changes, an expanded wellness committee and procedural clarifications to align the policy with state and federal program reviews.

What staff presented Miss O’Bannon introduced the updated policy and said Danielle Mitchell, the district’s Child Nutrition Program (CNP) manager, will serve as the district’s designated wellness policy representative and coordinator. Mitchell and O’Bannon said edits mainly change prescriptive words such as ‘‘will’’ or ‘‘must’’ to ‘‘should’’ in many places and clarify the committee makeup and meeting frequency.

Key changes and rationale - Committee membership: Expanded to include PE teachers, health teachers, school nurses, school administrators, the district CNP manager and parent/community representatives so the committee covers all grade levels and solicits public input. - Meeting frequency: Corrected a typographical error and changed the committee requirement to meet at least once a year (the state compliance standard), rather than twice; staff emphasized schools may meet more often as needed. - Assessment and reporting: The district will use the triennial progress report (required once every three years) to assess wellness policy implementation and will notify the superintendent, the board and the public annually of progress and any concerns. - USDA compliance: Mitchell noted her CNP duties include annual school reviews for compliance with USDA National School Lunch and Breakfast Program regulations; the triennial report aligns with that federal review process.

Next steps Staff asked the board to consider the revised policy for approval at the Feb. 20 meeting; the policy had been submitted to the policy review committee and to association presidents (AEA and others) for their 30‑day review. Staff said the new wellness committee is being formed now and that the district will report back on the triennial assessment and parent input as required.

Speakers - Miss O’Bannon, presenter (policy lead) - Danielle Mitchell, district CNP manager and designated wellness policy coordinator

Ending Board members had no substantive objections at the Feb. 6 presentation and staff will follow the policy review timeline and bring the policy back for board action on Feb. 20 or during the March work session if additional association input requires more time.