Calvert County Public Schools officials told the Board of Education on Jan. 14 that the Maryland State Department of Education's triennial assessment rated the district's wellness procedures high for comprehensiveness on USDA child nutrition standards and physical-education topics, while noting a need to add specific goals for physical activity.

Valerie Palmer, supervisor of child nutrition, and Britta Sparks, supervisor of physical education and health, presented results of the 2024 assessment and the district's self-evaluation. MSDE's report found strengths in standards for school meals and program implementation but identified one corrective action: update local procedures to include explicit goals for student physical activity.

Presenters summarized school- and district-level survey responses used in the assessment. The district scored 100 percent for comprehensiveness on USDA school-meal standards and performed well on physical-education comprehensiveness and strength measures. Areas identified for improvement included nutrition education and wellness promotion and marketing. The presenters recommended the district refine its procedures to include measurable goals (for example, frequency or minutes of activity) and to improve communication about wellness activities to increase survey evidence in future reviews.

Board members and staff discussed operational details with child nutrition staff, including how much menu preparation is done on-site, procurement constraints for locally sourced food, food-service labor costs, and the program's recent reliance on one-time USDA funding to close an operating gap. Nutrition staff said some locally sourced or scratch-made items are already prepared in district kitchens but that procurement and labor costs limit expansion without added funds.

District staff outlined possible changes that the wellness team will consider: prohibiting withholding recess as punishment, promoting kinesthetic learning across subject areas, strengthening language on daily activity opportunities, and developing community resource guides for physical activity. The district said it will focus on drafting specific, measurable goals on student activity for inclusion in procedures and will pursue better wellness promotion and communication.