Updated March 2025

The Liberty Central School District completed the WellSAT, which contains details of how the district scored on each item and section of the assessment. 

Why is wellness important?

• Healthy Kids Learn Better: Research clearly demonstrates that good nutrition is linked to better behavior and academic performance.
• Provides Consistent Messages: Providing healthy classroom celebrations demonstrates a school commitment to promoting healthy environments for students to learn. It supports the classroom lessons students are learning about health, instead of contradicting them.
• Puts Food in Its Proper Place: Refreshments should complement the fun, not be the “main event.”

Scorecard Results

Results are scored as 0 (missing), 1 (weak) or 2 (acceptable)

Policy assessment

Section 1 | Federal Requirements

1. Includes goals for nutrition education that are designed to promote student wellness. 2
2. Assures compliance with USDA nutrition standards for reimbursable school meals. 2
3. District takes steps to protect the privacy of students who qualify for free or reduced priced meals. 2
4. Free drinking water is available during meals. 2
5. Ensures annual training for food and nutrition services staff in accordance with USDA Professional standards. 2
6. Addresses compliance with USDA nutrition standards (Smart Snacks) for all food and beverages sold to students during the school day. 2
7. Regulates food and beverages sold in a la carte. 2
8. Regulates food and beverages sold in vending machines. 2
9. Regulates food and beverages sold in school stores. 2
10. Addresses fundraising with food to be consumed during the school day. 2
11. Regulates food and beverages served at class parties and other school celebrations in elementary schools. 2
12. Restricts marketing on the school campus during the school day to only those foods and beverages that meet Smart Snacks standards. 2
13. Addresses how all relevant groups will participate. 2
14. Identifies the officials responsible for compliance with all components of the local wellness policy in each school. 2
15. Addresses making the wellness policy available to the public. 2
16. Addresses the assessment of district implementation of the local wellness policy at least once every three years. 2
17. Addresses making triennial assessment results available to the public and specifies what will be included. 2
18. Addresses a plan for updating policy based on results of the triennial assessment. 2

Section 2 | Nutrition Environment and Services

1. Addresses access to the USDA School Breakfast Program. 2
2. Addresses how to handle feeding children with unpaid meal balances without stigmatizing them. 2
3. Specifies how families are provided information about determining
   eligibility for free/reduced price meals. 2
4. Specifies strategies to increase participation in school meal programs. 2
5. Specifies marketing to promote healthy food and beverage choices. 2
6. Addresses the amount of “seat time” students have to eat school meals. 2
7. Addresses purchasing local foods for the school meals program. 2
8. USDA Smart Snack standards are easily accessed in the policy. 2
9. Exemptions for infrequent school-sponsored fundraisers. 2
10. Addresses foods and beverages containing caffeine at the high schoollevel. 0
11. Addresses nutrition standards for all foods and beverages SERVED to students after the school day, including aftercare on school grounds, clubs, and after-school programming. 2
12. Addresses nutrition standards for all foods and beverages SOLD to students after the school day, including aftercare on school grounds, clubs, and after-school programming. 2
13. Addresses food not being used as a reward. 2
14. Addresses availability of free drinking water throughout the school day. 2

Section 3 | Nutrition Education

1. Nutrition education teaches skills that are behavior focused, interactive, and/or participatory. 2
2. All elementary school students receive sequential and comprehensive nutrition education. 2
3. All middle school students receive sequential and comprehensive nutrition education. 2
4. All high school students receive sequential and comprehensive nutrition education. 2
5. Nutrition education is integrated into other subjects beyond health education. 2
6. Links nutrition education with the food environment. 2
7. Nutrition education addresses agriculture and the food system. 2

Section 4 | Physical Education and Physical Activity

1. There is a written physical education curriculum for grades K-12. 2
2. The written physical education curriculum for each grade is aligned with national and/or state physical education standards. 2
3. Physical education promotes a physically active lifestyle. 2
4. Addresses time per week of physical education instruction for all elementary school students. 1
5. Addresses time per week of physical education instruction for all middle school students. 1
6. Addresses time per week of physical education instruction for all high school students. 1
7. Addresses qualifications for physical education teachers for grades K-12. 2
8. Addresses providing physical education training for physical education teachers. 2
9. Addresses physical education exemption requirements for all students. 2
10. Addresses physical education substitution for all students. 2
11. Addresses family and community engagement in physical activity opportunities at all schools. 2
12. Addresses before and after school physical activity for all students including clubs, intramural, interscholastic opportunities. 2
13. Addresses recess for all elementary school students. 2
14. Addresses physical activity breaks during school. 2
15. Joint or shared-use agreements for physical activity participation at all schools. 2
16. District addresses active transport (Safe Routes to School) for all K-12 students who live within walkable/bikeable distance. 2
17. Addresses using physical activity as a reward. 2
18. Addresses physical activity not being used as a punishment. 2
19. Addresses physical activity not being withheld as a punishment. 2

Section 5 | Employee Wellness

1. Addresses strategies to support employee wellness. 2
2. Encourages staff to model healthy eating and physical activity behaviors. 2

Section 6| Integration and Coordination

1. Addresses the establishment of an ongoing district wellness committee. 2
2. Addresses the establishment of an ongoing school building-level wellness committee. 2

Overall District Policy Score

• Total Comprehensiveness District Score: 99
• Total Strength District Score: 96