District leaders continue to face a familiar challenge: how to strengthen learning, support student engagement, and promote staff well-being without simply adding more instructional time.

In Kirtland Local Schools in Ohio, leadership approached this challenge by reframing wellness, particularly physical activity, as an integral part of daily instruction. Rather than treating movement as a break or reward, the district positioned it as a tool that helps students be ready to learn.

Superintendent Chad VanArnhem, a former teacher and principal, has long been interested in the connection between physical activity and learning. That perspective now shapes district-wide practice. Under his leadership, movement is supported and expected as part of the school day, giving teachers the confidence to use short, purposeful activities to help students reset, refocus, and re-engage.

This leadership stance has influenced how Kirtland structures routines, supports educators, and invests in the well-being of students and staff. By normalizing movement within daily schedules and reinforcing it through leadership alignment, the district has created conditions that support stronger engagement and academic outcomes.

Today, Kirtland’s student performance exceeds pre-pandemic levels, reinforcing a key insight for district leaders: wellness and academics are not competing priorities. When students are ready to learn, instruction is more effective.

Explore the full case study in Action for Healthy Kids’ District Impact Network

This story is part of a longer, practice-based case study available through the District Impact Network. Explore how Kirtland Local Schools implemented these strategies and what other districts can learn from their approach when you join the District Impact Network.