Purpose/Goal:
Meridian School District’s Wellness Policy Advisory Group will review best practices, federal guidelines, and current district activities to propose changes or updates to the current district wellness policy. The wellness policy is intended to guide the efforts of our school district to establish a school environment that promotes students’ health, well-being, and ability to learn by supporting healthy eating and physical activity.
Basis for Establishment:
The Local School Wellness Policy requirement was established by the Child Nutrition and WIC Reauthorization Act of 2004, and further strengthened by the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010. It requires each local school district participating in the National School Lunch Program and/or School Breakfast Program to develop a local school wellness policy that promotes the health of students and addresses the growing problem of childhood obesity.
Decision-Making Process:
The advisory group will review the district wellness policies for every topic. The Director of Food Service, along with team members, will review regulations, best practices, and examples of each area of student wellness. Meetings will focus on a single wellness policy area; Director of Food Service will draft proposed policy changes according to members’ recommendations. Each meeting will begin with a review of the previous meetings’ topic; the group will use consensus voting rules to agree to proposed policies.
Plan of Work:
The advisory group will include the Director of Food Service and may include staff, parents, building level administrators, counselors, liaisons, students, physical education staff and the public. A team of 8-10 stakeholders will meet four times from November 2023 – February 2024 to review and write any proposed changes to the district’s wellness policy or procedure. The advisory group will meet for four scheduled 1 1/2-hour meetings. Each meeting will focus on one area of the wellness policy and allow time for revision of the previous section of the wellness policy and an introduction of the upcoming wellness policy section. The team will propose wellness policy and procedures updates by March 2024.
Meeting Dates: Meetings are from 4 to 5:30 p.m. on the following dates.
Membership: A team of 8-10 stakeholders.
- Rob Dunn, Director of Food Service
- Emma Binderup, IRE teacher
- Brenda Graham, IRE staff member and parent
- Alicia Wang, IRE and MHS parent
- Jay Yeager, IRE parent
Online Application
(closed Oct. 30 at noon)
Current Wellness Policy and Procedure: