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School health advisory board urges air-quality monitoring, expanded wellness survey and nutrition education
Summary
The Student Health Advisory Board recommended expanding the annual stakeholder survey, enhancing the triennial wellness assessment, creating a comprehensive nutrition education program, and pursuing air-quality monitoring in schools; board members pressed for measurement after recent local industrial incidents.
The Student Health Advisory Board (SHAB) presented its 2025–26 priorities and recommendations to the Henrico County School Board on June 11, urging the division to expand data collection and monitor conditions that affect student health.
Amy Johnson, director of student support and wellness, described SHAB's push to align recommendations with the division's Journey to 2030 strategic plan and to convene at least four public meetings annually. Terrell Pard, SHAB's chair-elect, outlined recommendations for 2026–27 including enhancing the annual stakeholder survey (rather than adding a separate survey), expanding participation in the triennial wellness-policy assessment, strengthening nutrition-education programming, and continuing discussion with facilities staff about indoor air quality and recess time.
Board members strongly supported the recommendations. "Air quality has been such a topic within the school health advisory board... I have students telling me they can't breathe. That's enough for me," said Mrs. Atkins, who urged the division to invest in air-quality monitoring and cited recent local incidents — an ethylene-oxide release and a landfill fire — to emphasize health risks.
SHAB and administration agreed to work with the division's research and planning teams to develop targeted survey questions on mental health, substance misuse, food insecurity and housing instability while keeping the annual survey brief and usable. Johnson said the division will coordinate SHAB priorities with relevant HCPS staff and return with implementation details and any required approvals at the monthly meeting.
What happens next: Following board approval of officer slates at the monthly meeting, administration will work with SHAB to develop survey items and implementation plans for the 2026–27 school year and to scope potential air-quality monitoring pilots.
