Mississippi Healthy Students Act

Healthy Mississippi Initiative

Purpose:

To require all public schools throughout Mississippi to provide increased amounts of physical activity and health education instruction for elementary, junior high, and high school students

Target Population:

Mississippi students in grades K–12

Program Goals:

• Reduce the rate of obesity in children and adolescents
• Reduce physical inactivity in children and adolescents

Funding:

The state funds the programs pursuant to the Mississippi Healthy Students Act. The State Department of Education also employs a physical activity coordinator to assist districts with current and effective practices and with implementation of physical education and physical activity programs.

Structure and Operations:

The Healthy Students Act requires schools to provide at least 150 minutes of physical activity-based instruction as well as 45 minutes of health education instruction per week for students in kindergarten through eighth grade. In addition, the legislation requires students in grades 9 through 12 to complete a 1⁄2 Carnegie unit of physical education or physical activity before qualifying for graduation.

Every school in Mississippi is required to produce and adopt a school wellness plan for health promotion activities. Each school will hire a physical activity coordinator to monitor that the school abides by the legislation and is implementing health promotion activities.

Each school board will also form a local school health council, which will recommend appropriate practices for:

• Health and physical education
• Tobacco prevention
• Nutrition services
• Staff wellness
• Parental involvement

The Healthy Students Act also requires that the State Board of Education review each school district’s compliance with the Child Nutrition School Breakfast and Lunch Programs.

More Information:

http://www.governorbarbour.com/news/2007/apr/pr.HealthyStudentsAct.htm

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