Local Wellness Policy (LWP)

Overview

The Local Wellness Policy (LWP) is an important tool for creating a healthier school environment that promotes positive behaviors and helps students reach their full academic potential. School Food Authorities (SFAs) that participate in the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) are required to establish a LWP.

The Local Wellness Policy In a Nutshell provides an overview of the policy requirements.

School Wellness Committee

Wellness Policy Content

The wellness policy must include goals that support the health and well-being of its students. There are minimum content requirements that must be included. The wellness policy is required to be made available to the public.

• Local Wellness Policy Checklist can be used to ensure all required elements are included when creating or updating a wellness policy.  
• Local Wellness Policy Builder is an online tool designed to assist schools/districts in creating comprehensive school wellness policies that meet the requirements. 
  • Local Wellness Policy Builder – Full Text is a compilation of all statements available in the Local Wellness Policy Builder Online Tool. 
• Wisconsin Wellness: Putting Policy into Practice can be used to assist school districts with developing comprehensive policies that incorporate new policy requirements while establishing a framework for accountability. The resource provides information on required policy components and includes best practices that will assist schools with creating and maintaining a strong wellness policy. 
• Wisconsin Wellness: Moving into Action is a resource containing a collection of best practices implemented by Wisconsin schools. 

Wellness Policy Assessment

• The extent to which schools in the SFA are in compliance with the local school wellness policy; 
• The extent to which the local wellness policy compares to model local wellness policies; and  
• A description of the progress made in attaining the goals of the local school wellness policy.  

Resources

• USDA Team Nutrition has developed numerous resources to assist with the development, implementation, and monitoring of school wellness policies. The Local Wellness Policy Outreach Toolkit has ready-to-go communication tools to engage school staff and parents in school wellness.
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention - Healthy Schools has resources to assist schools with creating supportive school nutrition and physical activity environments. The School Health Index is an online self-assessment and planning tool that schools can use to improve their health and safety policies and programs.
• Alliance for a Healthier Generation organizes their resources into wellness modules to create a workable framework that sets specific actions to help schools create healthy school environments. The Healthy Schools Program Framework of Criteria identifies specific best practices to create healthier school environments. Schools can use their six step process to assess, evaluate, and take action on local wellness policies. The Alliance has developed a Model School Wellness Policy. The policy was thoroughly reviewed by USDA Food and Nutrition Service and is compliant with school wellness policy requirements.
• Action for Healthy Kids fights childhood obesity, undernourishment and physical inactivity by helping schools become healthier places so kids can live healthier lives by engaging diverse organizations, leaders and volunteers.
• Wisconsin School Health Atlas contains reports, stories, and best practices regarding state-wide school wellness polices.

USDA Guidance

• Final Rule: Local School Wellness Policy Implementation Under the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 
• Local School Wellness Policy Implementation Under the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010: Summary of the Final Rule​ 
• Local School Wellness Policy: Guidance and Q&As SP 24-2017

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