Fulton Public Schools demonstrates strong alignment with federal wellness requirements and shows a clear commitment to student health. Many wellness policies are well established and consistently implemented across schools, including nutritious school meals, daily access to breakfast, clean drinking water, comprehensive nutrition education, and standards-based physical education.
The assessment also identified opportunities to strengthen implementation, update policies, and expand family and community involvement in wellness efforts. Fulton Public Schools will use these results to guide continuous improvements that support student health, learning, and well-being through its District Wellness Committee.
Triennial Assessment
| Section 1: Federal Requirements | Policy Score | Practice Score | |
|---|---|---|---|
| FR1 | Does the district have specific goals for nutrition education designed to promote student wellness? | 1 | 2 |
| FR2 | Do you National School Lunch Program meals (and, if applicable, School Breakfast Program meals) meet all federal standards for meal patterns, nutrient levels, and calorie requirements for the grade levels served? | 1 | 2 |
| FR3 | Does your school take steps to protect the privacy of students who qualify for free or reduced-price meals? | 0 | 2 |
| FR4 | Is free (i.e., no cost to students) drinking water available to students during meals? | 2 | 1 |
| FR5 | Do all school nutrition program directors, managers, and staff meet or exceed the annual continuing education/training hours required by the USDA's Professional Standards requirements? | 1 | 2 |
| FR6 | Do all competitive foods and beverages sold to students during the school day meet or exceed the USDA's nutrition standards, commonly called Smart Snacks? | 2 | 2 |
| FR7 | Do all a la carte foods and beverages sold in the cafeteria meet Smart Snack standards? | 2 | 1 |
| FR8 | Do all foods and beverages sold in vending machines meet Smart Snack standards? | 2 | 1 |
| FR9 | Do all foods and beverages sold in school stores during the school day meet Smart Snack standards? | 2 | N/A |
| FR10 | Are there fundraisers that sell foods or beverages to be consumed during the school day? If yes, do the foods and beverages sold meet Smart Snacks standards? | 2 | 1 |
| FR11 | Does your district regulate foods and beverages served at class parties and other school celebrations in elementary schools? | 2 | 0 |
| FR12 | Is there food or beverage marketing on the school campus during the school day? If yes, do the marketed items meet Smart Snacks criteria? | 2 | 0 |
| FR13 | Which groups are represented on the district-level wellness committee? | 2 | 2 |
| FR14 | Is there an official who is responsible for the implementation and compliance with the wellness policy at the building level for each school? | 2 | 2 |
| FR15 | How is the wellness policy made available to the public? | 1 | 1 |
| FR16 | Is wellness policy implementation evaluated every three years? | 2 | 1 |
| FR17 | What is included in the triennial assessment report to the public? | 2 | 1 |
| FR18 | Has the wellness policy been revised based on the previous triennial assessment? | 2 | 1 |
| Section 2: Nutrition Environment and Services | Policy Score | Practice Score | |
|---|---|---|---|
| NES1 | Does the district offer breakfast every day to all students? | 2 | 2 |
| NES2 | Does your school take steps to address feeding students with unpaid meal balances without stigmatizing them? | 2 | 2 |
| NES3 | Does your school or district provide information to families about eligibility for free or reduced-price meals? | 0 | 2 |
| NES4 | Does your school use strategeis to maximize participation in the school breakfast program and/or school lunch program? | 1 | 2 |
| NES5 | Are marketing strategies used to promote healthy food and beverage choices in school? | 1 | 1 |
| NES6 | Do students have at least 10 minutes to eat breakfast and at least 20 minutes to eat lunch, counting from the time they are seated? | 0 | 1 |
| NES7 | In your district, is it a priority to procure locally produced foods for school meals? | 1 | 1 |
| NES8 | Do you know where to access the USDA Smart Snacks nutrition standards to check and see if an item can be sold in school during the day? | 1 | 2 |
| NES9 | Are you familiar with any state laws allowing exemptions for school-sponsored fundraisers during which foods and beverages do not have to meet Smart Snacks? | 0 | 1 |
| NES10 | Are foods or beverages containing caffeine sold at the high school level? | 0 | 0 |
| NES11 | Do all foods or beverages SERVED (not sold) to students after the school day on school ground (including aftercare, clubs, and afterschool programming) meet federal nutrition standards (e.g., CACFP or Smart Snacks)? | 0 | 1 |
| NES12 | Do all foods or beverages SOLD (not served) to students after the school day on school grounds (including aftercare, clubs, and afterschool programming) meet federal nutrition standards (e.g., CACFP or Smart Snacks)? | 0 | 1 |
| NES13 | Do teachers or school staff give students food as a reward? | 2 | 0 |
| NES14 | Do students have consistent and easy access to free drinking water throughout the school day? | 2 | 2 |
| Section 3: Nutrition Education | Policy Score | Practice Score | |
|---|---|---|---|
| NE1 | Are skills-based, behavior-focused, and interactive/participatory methods used in nutrition education to develop student skills? | 2 | 1 |
| NE2 | Do all elementary school students receive sequential and comprehensive nutrition education? | 2 | 2 |
| NE3 | Do all middle school students receive sequential and comprehensive nutrition education? | 2 | 2 |
| NE4 | Do all high school students receive sequential and comprehensive nutrition education? | 2 | 2 |
| NE5 | Is nutrition education integrated into other subjects beyond health education? | 1 | 1 |
| NE6 | Do school nutrition services staff members use the following methods to collaborate with teachers to reinforce nutrition education lessons taught in the classroom? | 0 | 1 |
| NE7 | Does nutrition education address agriculture and the food system? | 1 | 1 |
| Section 4: Physical Education and Physical Activity | Policy Score | Practice Score | |
|---|---|---|---|
| PEPA1 | Does the district have a written physical education curriculum that is implemented consistently for every grade? | 2 | 2 |
| PEPA2 | Does the district have a written physical education curriculum that is aligned with national and/or state standards? | 2 | 2 |
| PEPA3 | How does your physical education program promote a physically active lifestyle? | 2 | 2 |
| PEPA4 | How many minutes per week of PE does each grade in elementary school receive? | 0 | 0 |
| PEPA5 | How many minutes per week of PE does each grade in middle school receive? | 0 | 1 |
| PEPA6 | How many minutes per week of PE does each grade in high school receive? | 0 | 0 |
| PEPA7 | Are all physical education classes taught by state-certified/licensed teachers who are endorsed to teach physical education? | 2 | 2 |
| PEPA8 | Is ongoing professional development offered every year for PE teachers that is relevant and specific to physical education? | 2 | 2 |
| PEPA9 | What percentage of students do you estimate do not take PE each year due to exemptions? | 2 | 2 |
| PEPA10 | What percentage of students do you estimate do not take PE each year due to substitutions? | 2 | 2 |
| PEPA11 | Are there opportunities for families and community members to engage in physical activity at school? | 1 | 0 |
| PEPA12 | Are there opportunities for all students to engage in physical activity before and after school? | 2 | 1 |
| PEPA13 | Is there daily recess for all grades in elementary school? | 1 | 2 |
| PEPA14 | Do teachers provide regular physical activity breaks for students in the classroom? | 0 | 1 |
| PEPA15 | Does the district have "joint-use" or shared-use" agreements? | 1 | 2 |
| PEPA16 | What proportion of students walk or bike to school? | 1 | 1 |
| PEPA17 | Are teachers encouraged to use physical activity as a reward for students? | 0 | 1 |
| PEPA18 | Do teachers ever use physical activity as a punishment? | 0 | 1 |
| PEPA19 | Do teachers ever withhold physical activity as a classroom management tool? | 0 | 1 |
| Section 5: Employee Wellness | Policy Score | Practice Score | |
|---|---|---|---|
| EW1 | Are there strategies used by the school to support employee wellness? | 2 | 1 |
| EW2 | Are school staff encouraged to model healthy eating and physical activity behaviors in front of students? | 0 | 0 |
| Section 6: Integration and Coordination | Policy Score | Practice Score | |
|---|---|---|---|
| IC1 | Is there an active district-level wellness committee? | 1 | 0 |
| IC2 | Is there an active school-level wellness committee? | 0 | 0 |