Every local educational authority (LEA) is required to have a wellness policy. This written document guides a LEA’s/districts efforts to create supportive school nutrition and physical activity environments. Wellness policies are required by the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act, as amended by the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 (HHFKA). The Act also requires the evaluation of program requirements during a 3-year cycle.
The administrative review provides a comprehensive evaluation process for state agencies (SAs) to evaluate SFAs that operate the school meal programs. The review process includes both critical and general areas of review and offers a robust review of program operations. This includes the implementation of the HHFKA program requirements and the review of other federal programs. FNS provides forms, instructions, and guidance to standardize this review process.
The monitoring of local school wellness policies falls under the general areas of the administrative review. The scope of this monitoring requires the SA to assess how areas of the LEA, other than the school food service, implement their local school wellness policy responsibilities, as applicable. LEAs must conduct an assessment of the wellness policy every 3 years, at a minimum. This assessment determines:
- Compliance with the wellness policy,
- How the wellness policy compares to model wellness policies, and
- Progress made in attaining the goals of the wellness policy.
LEAs must make this assessment available to the public. Refer to the local process page to see which documentation to keep on file.
For more information on the current school year, school districts should contact their respective state agencies.