School Wellness Policies

In This Section



Notes from the Backpack Podcast

Join PTA For Your Child


Healthy Lifestyles

Supporting Nutrition and Physical Activity in Schools

As part of the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010, each school district that participates in the National School Lunch Program, and other federal child nutrition programs, must have a school wellness policy.

The policy may vary depending on the school district, but it should address how the school district plans to support nutrition and physical activity in schools. The creation of the policy requires that parents and even community members be allowed to participate in developing, implementing, and reviewing the school wellness policy.

PTAs should check with district leadership on how they can be involved in their district’s school wellness policy. PTAs and districts should be aware of state regulations related to school wellness policies which may be more strict than federal regulations.

How PTAs Can Assist with School Wellness Policies

  • Learn about the federal requirements related to school wellness policies 
  • Form or participate in a school wellness committee or a school health advisory board (SHAB) to carry out the activities in the school wellness policy.
  • Be involved in the development, implementation, and evaluation of school wellness policies.