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SHAC recommends CATCH pilot, whole-child awards expand as membership doubles
Summary
The district's School Health Advisory Council reported increased membership and student involvement, a successful Kids Heart Challenge and recommended a two-year, grant-funded CATCH pilot for sixth-grade health instruction plus expansion of the Whole Child award.
The School Health Advisory Council (SHAC) reported to the Richardson ISD Board on May 7 that it has doubled parent/community membership, added student representatives, and piloted activities that generated stipends and programming benefits for campuses.
Lindsay Ledford, assistant athletic director and SHAC co-chair, said the council recruited four student members this year and piloted several initiatives focused on movement, nutrition and teacher supports. "We recruited students to join SHAC this year. They brought an incredible new perspective," Ledford said. Parent co-chair Sarah Kaushik said the Kids Heart Challenge raised more than $300,000 for the American Heart Association and that about $26,000 of that is returning directly to RISD schools in incentives and awards for PE programs.
SHAC recommended piloting the CATCH (Coordinated Approach to Child Health) curriculum for sixth-grade health in a two-year, grant-funded pilot at select campuses (Lake Highlands middle configuration and Moss Haven Elementary as an initial site). Ledford said the pilot is grant-funded and will not require district spending; teacher training would occur during district PD so lessons can roll out in August.
Other SHAC goals presented for 2026''27 include continuing mental-health awareness work, expanding the Whole Child award to encourage more campuses to implement the district wellness plan, boosting data collection for wellness metrics, expanding outdoor education curriculum and continuing student engagement on the SHAC committee.
Trustees praised the committee's facilitation and community partnership work and asked about parent access to curriculum previews; SHAC said parents may review the CATCH preview and that the selection of student representatives prioritized juniors and seniors in health or CTE health pathways to maintain continuity into the next year.
Board members said SHAC's work is a model for parent engagement and asked staff to continue sharing SHAC outcomes publicly. The presentation closed with trustees congratulating the SHAC winners and acknowledging increased participation across the district.
The board did not take formal action on the SHAC recommendations at the meeting; staff indicated the committee's proposals will be implemented through regular administrative processes and grant administration.
