Placentia-Yorba Linda*

State Senate Bill 19, partly amended by the California Childhood Obesity Prevention Act, authorized school districts to establish a Child Nutrition and Physical Activity Committee to help coordinate functions and activities that address students' obesity problems. Response: During the 2003-04 school year, the Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified School District established a Student Nutrition Advisory Council (SNAC). Membership consists of a cross section of stakeholders including the Assistant Superintendent of Administrative Services, the Assistant Superintendent, Executive Services, the Director of Food Services, the Supervisor of Health Services, the Supervisor of Child Care services, a high school principal, two high school assistant principals, a middle school assistant principal, a high school activities director, a high school athletic director, a teacher, a parent, and a student. The purpose of this council is to address issues of nutrition, health, and obesity.

All food and beverages prepared by school food services in Orange County schools, or supplied under contract by outside vendors and served on the school campuses, are regulated by federal and sate requirements. Response: The Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified School District complies with federal and state requirements for the procurement of food and beverages offered on our campuses.

A study in Poway has shown that the greatest improvement in the physical fitness of students occurred when the physical education program was supervised by the Physical Education Specialist. Response: The Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified School District provides a district- coordinated Elementary Physical Education Program that provides 90 minutes per week of instruction with a certified physical education specialist to all students in grades 1 through 6. Students receive instruction on physical fitness, and they participate in a regular fitness routine during each instructional period. Wellness and health concepts are presented in monthly themes which include nutrition.

Various government grants are available to the schools to help finance and improve the schools' nutrition and physical education programs. . . . Response: From 1998 through 2001, one of district's middle schools (Kraemer Middle School) was honored with a three-year Demonstration Middle School Grant totaling approximately $100,000. Funds from this grant were used to improve curriculum and develop additional skills and fitness activities for the students. The grant was successfully implemented, and Kraemer is now listed as one of California's Demonstration Middle Schools because of its physical education program.

Most school districts, faced with budgetary cuts and greater priority on higher academic standards, have gradually decreased their emphasis on physical education. Response: The Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified School District has not decreased its emphasis on physical education. Out of financial necessity, the district has reduced the number of physical education specialists at the elementary level from 12.6 to 9.6: however, specialist services are still provided and support is still given to the classroom teacher to an extent that surpasses what is available in many other school districts in the county. There has been no change in the emphasis on physical education at the middle school or high school levels.

Food items provided by the schools' food services are not labeled with their caloric values and nutritional composition; nor is such information posted in the food-serving area. Response: The district's Food Services Department does not have the manpower, software, or hardware to develop food labels on the 9,000 meals dispensed each day. With changes in suppliers and in food trends, one posting in the food service area of 4,000 available food items would not remain accurate. The mealtime rush, serving 30 meals per minute, does not provide adequate time to review or reflect the nutritional composition of the food selected.

Body Mass Index in not fully utilized as an assessment tool by schools' nutrition and physical education programs, but is used as appropriate by school nurses for clinical purposes. Response: The Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified School District has consistently used the Body Composition Test for students in grades 5, 7, and 9 as part of the California State Mandated Fitnessgram Test. The results are always presented to and discussed with the students. Parents are mailed the results accompanied by a letter with descriptive comments.