6. Adopt the Policy
Once your team has drafted a policy and worked to gain support of key stakeholders, the team faces the challenge of getting the school board or other governing body to approve it.
Your Objectives
- Educate the Board on the local wellness policy and solicit them to commit to the vision of a healthy school environment
- Fully address the Board’s issues and concerns, without giving up on your vision. Use creativity and collaborate with other members of the community (e.g., the PTA, local wellness centers, dietitians) to leverage your efforts.
Keep in mind that school governance has at least three layers of oversight, and your policy needs to be aligned with all three layers. The graphic, below, demonstrates the hierarchy of the school decision-making process:
The School Board is the final authority that adopts the policy, but it must have at least the unofficial approval of the state education agency staff and officer, and it can't violate state or local government regulation. It is important to have the superintendent and central office staff behind the initiative, since they play an important role in how it gets implemented. At the same time, since changes to a student's health happens at the school level, having principals and school councils behind the initiative is important, too. So all levels of the hierarchy need to be aligned with the policy.
Hear from the Virtual Wellness Policy Team
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