Magnolia ISD staff outline pharmacy-led 10-week wellness pilot with Dec. 2 information session

Magnolia Independent School District staff and community partners on Tuesday described plans for a pharmacy-led, 10-week employee wellness pilot that would begin after the holidays, include on-site body-composition scans and continuous glucose monitoring, and aim to enroll roughly 105 district employees.

The presentation at a district workshop laid out logistics and costs: an information session is scheduled for Dec. 2 at 5 p.m. at the Bid Center, applications will open the next day and remain open through Dec. 5, and district officials expect to finalize details by Dec. 15. The pilot is proposed to run Jan. 12–March 13.

Why it matters: District staff said the program could improve employee health, reduce stress and support recruitment and retention by offering a benefit they contend is uncommon among Texas school districts. Organizers said the pilot will provide measurable data — including InBody scans and continuous glucose monitor (CGM) readings — to assess health outcomes and potential savings on health-care costs.

Sam Bell, a district staff member who described the selection and cost plan, said the district surveyed employees before crafting the pilot. "We have roughly 2,100 employees throughout the district," Bell said, and 992 responded to the survey; of those respondents, 59% expressed interest in a program and 65% said they would be willing to commit. Bell described a slot allocation that would include seven participants per high school, five per junior high, four per intermediate and three per elementary, with additional slots for specialized sites, yielding a target of about 105 participants for year one.

Costs and participation: Organizers said Magnolia Pharmacy offers the program at a community price of $1,800 per person but will charge the district $1,000 for employees. Bell said the district would subsidize $600 for professional staff and $800 for auxiliary and paraprofessional employees; auxiliary staff would contribute $200 deducted from pay at approximately $25 per paycheck between Feb. 1 and May 15. A spouse may participate by paying the full $1,000 fee, organizers said.

Program design and evidence: Pharmacist Steve Hoffer, who said he grew up in Magnolia, described the program's four core principles — stabilizing blood sugar, matching activity to carbohydrate intake, improving fat ratios to reduce inflammation and removing appetite-driving foods — and emphasized education and follow-up. "Ten weeks trains good habits, and we're there to support the people," Hoffer said.

Hoffer described diagnostic tools the pilot would use: InBody body-composition scans at baseline, midpoint and completion to measure fat and muscle changes, and CGMs to show individuals how specific foods affect glucose and insulin in real time. He cited results from a previous small class of 15 people, saying the average participant lost 13 pounds and showed about a 2.86% decrease in percent body fat over the program.

Staff and participant perspectives: Several district employees who previously completed the program described personal benefits. Sarah Wright, who said she remains in follow-up with Hoffer, said her overall cholesterol improved after participation and called the results "life changing." Another participant referenced a 29-pound loss in 10 weeks. District leaders repeatedly framed these stories as part of the program's value for employee morale and recruitment.

Next steps and oversight: District staff said they will distribute sign-up letters to employees immediately, hold the Dec. 2 information session with Hoffer present, accept applications through Dec. 5, and evaluate pilot results after the 10-week period to determine whether to expand or adjust the program. The workshop closed without a formal board vote on program adoption; the chair accepted a motion to adjourn and the workshop was declared adjourned.

What remains unresolved: The transcript records projected health improvements and anticipated cost savings but does not include independent verification of those claims or a formal board approval of the pilot; organizers said they hope to show reduced health-care costs if the pilot is successful and mentioned possible outreach to TRS and state contacts to evaluate savings.

Reported by: Magnolia ISD workshop observers. Direct quotes and program details are drawn from presenter remarks during the workshop.