OCPS proposes revisions to student wellness policy, removes mandatory healthy‑school teams and updates curriculum language
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Summary
The board reviewed proposed edits to Policy IHAM (Student Wellness) reflecting changes in state law and updated curriculum requirements for health education, physical education minutes by grade band, nutrition standards and deletion of the previously required Healthy School Team structure.
Orange County Public Schools staff presented proposed changes to Policy IHAM (Student Wellness), saying the draft aligns district practice with recent state law changes, updates health curriculum language and removes a statutory requirement for Healthy School Teams.
Vivian Kokotis and Mark Watson, identified in the meeting as district staff and senior director of Food and Nutrition Services respectively, outlined the revisions. The policy would rename the title to include “student wellness,” incorporate Florida statutory language for grade‑band health instruction, update content expectations for grades 6–12 (including guidance about social media risks, cyberbullying and human‑trafficking awareness) and add a high‑school‑age focus on career readiness skills such as resume creation and interview practice.
The board discussed several operational points. Staff said health instruction is delivered across multiple courses and programs: elementary schools use a 30‑minute weekly health block and the “Child Safety Matters” lessons; middle schools include “Teen Safety Matters” and resiliency days; high schools deliver health content through the HOPE course and career planning tools such as Xello. Staff also said materials used for certain topics are made available online by the Florida Department of Education and the district will notify parents when state‑approved instructional materials are posted.
In the physical education section, the draft establishes participation expectations by grade band. Students in kindergarten through grade 5 would receive a minimum of 150 minutes per week of physical education, with at least one 30‑minute consecutive session on days when PE occurs. Middle‑school students would participate in the equivalent of one semester of PE per year; waivers could be granted when a student is enrolled in required remedial instruction or when parents provide written notice that the student participates in equivalent physical activity outside school hours.
The proposal would delete language that required Healthy School Teams; district staff said the requirement was removed from state law and the teams were duplicative of other district activities. Food and Nutrition Services staff reiterated that federal and state nutrition standards remain in force (for example, whole‑grain content and limits on sugar and sodium) and described efforts to expand ‘share tables’ and after‑school supper programs in schools that qualify for those federal programs. Staff said purchased snack items in schools are reformulated to meet district Eat Smart standards and that vending machines operating during the school day must meet the same standards.
Board members asked for clarification on several items: how social‑media and human‑trafficking material is delivered and how parents are notified, whether students can opt out of PE and how waivers are evaluated, and whether calorie and portion standards appropriately meet the needs of high‑activity students. Staff said they would provide more detailed curriculum mapping and a written summary of state waiver criteria for board review.
No formal vote was taken; staff presented the revisions for board review and said they will return any final redlines for formal action at a subsequent meeting.
