MS HB1499

State Board of Education, in consultation with the Department of Health, shall establish a targeted coordinated school health pilot program beginning in the 2012-2013 school year based on the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention model.

Pilot program components shall include school nutrition services, physical education, healthy school environment, staff health and wellness, and family and community involvement to enhance student health and academic achievement.

State Department of Education shall establish regulations for the programs, provide technical assistance to districts, and employ a physical activity coordinator with specified qualifications to assist districts with physical education and physical activity implementation.

Subject to available funding, the State Department of Education shall establish a targeted coordinated school health grant pilot program; school districts must submit detailed implementation plans including a dedicated health coordinator, description of current health initiatives, and measurable objectives to qualify.

Grant funds shall supplement, not replace, existing school health program expenditures and shall be subject to local matching requirements and annual reporting to the State Department of Education on progress toward state education performance indicators.