CODE: 3542.1
SECTION: BUSINESS AND NON-INSTRUCTIONAL OPERATIONS
LOCAL WELLNESS AND NUTRITION
The West Milford Board of Education believes that children
need access to healthful foods and opportunities to be physically active in
order to grow, learn, and thrive, and that good health fosters student
attendance and education.
Obesity rates have doubled in children and tripled in adolescents over the last
two decades, and physical inactivity and excessive calorie intake are the
predominant causes of obesity. Heart disease, cancer, stroke, and diabetes are
responsible for two-thirds of deaths in the United States, and major risk
factors for those diseases, including unhealthy eating habits, physical
inactivity, and obesity, often are established in childhood. Further, the items
most commonly sold from school vending machines, school stores, and snack bars
include low-nutrition foods and beverages such as soda, sports drinks, imitation
fruit juices, chips, candy, cookies, and snack cakes.
To promote healthful behavior in the school, the Board is committed to
encouraging its students to consume fresh fruits, vegetables, and low-fat milk
and whole grains. The Board is also committed to encouraging students to select
and consume all components of the school meal.
In order to promote and protect children’s health, well-being, and ability to
learn, the Board is committed to providing school environments that support
healthy eating and physical activity and will insure that:
A. All students will have opportunities, support, and encouragement to be
physically active on a regular basis.
B. Foods and beverages sold or served at school will meet the nutrition
recommendations of the U. S. Dietary Guidelines for Americans and the USDA
nutrition standards for National School Lunch, School Breakfast and/or After
School Snack Programs.
C. All students will be provided with adequate time for student meal service and
consumption in a clean, safe, and pleasant dining environment. Lunch and recess
or physical education schedules will be coordinated with the meal service.
D. To the maximum extent practicable, all schools in our district will
participate in available Federal school meal programs (including the School
Breakfast Program, National School Lunch Program, including After School Snack
Programs, Summer Food Service Program, and Child and Adult Care Food Program).
E. Schools will provide nutrition education and physical education to foster
lifelong habits of healthy eating and physical activity and will establish
linkages between health education and school meal programs and with related
community services.
F. The Board will engage students, parents, teachers, food service
professionals, health professionals, and other interested community members in
developing, implementing, monitoring, and reviewing district-wide nutrition and
physical activity policies.
Effective September, 2007, the West Milford School District shall implement the
following requirements:
All Schools
The following items shall not be served, sold or given out as free promotion
anywhere on school property at anytime before the end of the school day:
A. Foods of minimal nutritional value as defined by the United States Department
of Agriculture.
B. All food and beverage items listing sugar, in any form, as the first
ingredient.
C. All forms of candy.
Schools shall reduce the purchase of any products containing trans fats. All
snack and beverage items sold or served anywhere on school property during the
school day, including items sold in a la carte lines, vending machines, snack
bars, school stores and fund-raisers, or served in the reimbursable After School
Snack Program, shall meet the following standards:
A. Based on manufacturer’s nutritional data or nutrient facts labels:
1. No more than eight grams of total fat per serving, with the exception of nuts
and seeds.
2. No more than two grams of saturated fat per serving.
B. All beverages shall not exceed 12 ounces, with the following exceptions:
1. Water.
2. Milk containing two percent or less fat.
C. Whole milk shall not exceed eight ounces.
Elementary Schools
A. 100 percent of all beverages offered shall be milk, water, or
B. 100 percent fruit or vegetable juices.
Middle and High School
A. At least 60 percent of all beverages offered, other than milk and water,
shall be 100 percent fruit or vegetable juices.
B. No more than 40 percent of all ice cream/frozen desserts shall be allowed to
exceed the above standards for sugar, fat, and saturated fat.
General School District Requirements
Food and beverages served during special school celebrations or during
curriculum-related activities shall be exempt from this policy, with the
exception of foods of minimal nutritional value (FMNV) as defined by USDA
regulations.
This policy does not apply to: medically authorized special needs diets pursuant
to Federal regulations; school nurses using FMNVs during the course of providing
health care to individual students; or special needs students whose
Individualized Education Plan (IEP) indicates their use for behavior
modification. Adequate time shall be allowed for student meal service and
consumption. Schools shall provide a pleasant dining environment. The Board
recommends that physical education or recess be scheduled before lunch whenever
possible.
The district’s curriculum shall incorporate nutrition education and physical
activity consistent with the New Jersey Department of Education’s Core
Curriculum Content Standards.
The Superintendent of Schools will specifically address the issue of biosecurity
for the school food service. Biosecurity may be part of the plans, procedures,
and mechanism for school safety.
The Board is committed to promoting the nutrition policy with all food service
personnel, teachers, nurses, coaches, and other school administrative staff so
they have the skills they need to implement this policy and promote healthy
eating practices. The Board will work toward expanding awareness about this
policy among students, parents, teachers, and the community at large.
The Superintendent of Schools shall develop regulations consistent with this
policy, including a process for measuring the effectiveness of its
implementation and designating personnel within each school with operational
responsibility for insuring the school is complying with the policy.
First Reading: July 24, 2007
Adopted: August 28, 2007