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Leander ISD health advisory council recommends daily health minute, Hope Squad pilot and recess guidance
Summary
The School Health Advisory Council presented a year‑end report recommending a daily health minute, improved cafeteria signage, 30 minutes of recess plus short breaks, and a pilot of the Hope Squad mental-health program at two middle schools. The board discussed policy and implementation timelines.
The School Health Advisory Council (SHAK) presented its annual report to the board, highlighting recommendations intended to broaden student health education and improve access to services.
Joshua Foster, acting chair, and student and parent representatives described priority items: display cafeteria menus more prominently and at eye level, institute a daily “health minute” that rotates topics (nutrition, sleep, movement), and adopt practical recess guidance that keeps campuses compliant with recent state law while encouraging 30 minutes of sustained recess with short movement breaks embedded across the day.
The council recommended piloting Hope Squad at two middle schools and allocating resources to support implementation, with an estimated pilot cost (presenters cited a specific pilot price for two middle schools). A SHAK subcommittee also recommended piloting a digital social-emotional learning curriculum and using climate-survey data to guide comprehensive counseling goals.
Board members probed implementation details, including funding and staff workload; administration said some items (website links, menu displays) require minimal cost while programs such as Hope Squad include subscription and staff-support costs. Trustees suggested the board could consider policy language to reinforce recess protections and asked staff to return with timelines and budget implications where necessary.
The SHAK group also described a crosswalk revising district ethical principles and aligning character education to the district graduate profile; the board asked for follow-up and suggested policy alignment work by the policy committee.
