The Vermont Statutes Online
The Vermont Statutes Online have been updated to include the actions of the 2023 session of the General Assembly.
NOTE: The Vermont Statutes Online is an unofficial copy of the Vermont Statutes Annotated that is provided as a convenience.
Title 16 : Education
Chapter 001 : Administration Generally
Subchapter 007 : Comprehensive Health Education
(Cite as: 16 V.S.A. § 136)-
§ 136. Wellness program; Advisory Council on Wellness and Comprehensive Health
(a) As used in this section:
(1) “Fitness program” means a program that includes a physical education program and a physical activity program.
(2) “Nutrition” includes all food and beverages sold or served in the food service program, vending machines, snack bars, and school stores.
(3) “Physical activity program” means a program that includes, in addition to regular physical education classes, minimum daily physical activity for each student provided through activities such as recess and other recreation periods, and participation in athletics either during or after regular school hours. “Physical activity” means moderate and vigorous physical activities.
(4) “Physical education program” means a sequential, developmentally appropriate program that is an enjoyable experience for students and is designed to help students develop the knowledge, skill, self-management skill, attitudes, and confidence needed to adopt and maintain physical fitness throughout their lives.
(5) “Wellness program” means a program that includes physical fitness and comprehensive health education as defined in section 131 of this title.
(b) The Secretary shall establish an Advisory Council on Wellness and Comprehensive Health that shall include at least three members with expertise in health services, health education, or health policy; at least one member who is a school counselor; and at least one member who is a school social worker. The members shall serve without compensation. The Council shall assist the Agency to plan, coordinate, and encourage wellness and comprehensive health programs in the public schools and shall meet not less than twice a year. The Council shall also examine and coordinate state health wellness policies and federal wellness policies to identify and, if possible, eliminate any redundancies.
(c) The Secretary shall collaborate with other agencies and councils working on childhood wellness to:
(1) Supervise the preparation of appropriate wellness program curricula for use in the public schools, promote programs for the preparation of teachers to teach these curricula, and assist in the development of wellness programs.
(2) [Repealed.]
(3) Establish and maintain a website that displays data from a youth risk behavior survey in a way that enables the public to aggregate and disaggregate the information.
(4) Research funding opportunities for schools and communities that wish to build wellness programs and make the information available to the public.
(5) [Repealed.]
(d) The Agency shall offer assistance to school districts and supervisory unions to provide teacher instruction in wellness programs.
(e) Any school district board or supervisory union board may establish a wellness community advisory council to inventory community programs and assets and to assist the school board and community in developing and implementing wellness programs. The school board shall provide public notice to the community to allow all interested parties to apply for appointment. The school board shall endeavor to appoint members who represent various points of view and expertise within the community regarding wellness programs. Members may include representatives from coordinated school health teams, teachers, school administrators, students, community members, health care providers, parents, and others. (Added 2003, No. 161 (Adj. Sess.), § 2; amended 2007, No. 154 (Adj. Sess.), § 6; 2009, No. 135 (Adj. Sess.), § 6; 2013, No. 92 (Adj. Sess.), §§ 5, 6, eff. Feb. 14, 2014; 2021, No. 66, § 9, eff. June 7, 2021.)
