Local school wellness policy: what must be in it

Who has to have one

Section 210.31(a) puts the duty on each local educational agency, the school district or equivalent, for all schools in its jurisdiction that participate in the National School Lunch Program, the School Breakfast Program or both. The policy is a written plan. The regulation says what it is for: methods to promote student wellness, to prevent and reduce childhood obesity, and to give assurance that school meals and other food and drinks sold or otherwise made available on campus during the school day are consistent with the federal minimum standards.

The terms “school campus” and “school day” are borrowed from § 210.11. The campus is every area of property under the school’s jurisdiction that students can reach during the school day, and the day runs from the midnight before to 30 minutes after the official end of the school day. That reach matters: a wellness policy covers vending machines, school stores and a fundraiser table, not just the cafeteria line.

The six required contents

Paragraph (c) says the policy must contain, at a minimum, six things. First, specific goals for nutrition promotion and education, physical activity and other school-based wellness activities, developed after reviewing and considering evidence-based strategies. Second, standards for all foods and beverages provided but not sold to students during the school day. Third, standards and nutrition guidelines for foods and beverages sold to students that are consistent with the meal requirements of §§ 210.10 and 220.8 and the competitive food standards of § 210.11, permit on-campus marketing only of foods and drinks that meet those competitive standards, and promote student health and reduce childhood obesity.

Fourth, the title or position of the district or school officials responsible for implementation and oversight. Fifth, a description of how parents, students, school food authority representatives, physical education teachers, school health professionals, the school board, administrators and the public can participate in developing, implementing and reviewing the policy. Sixth, a plan for measuring implementation and for reporting policy content and implementation issues to the public. The checklist on this page lists those six items so you can see which are covered.

Public involvement and notice

Paragraph (d) requires the same broad group to be allowed to take part in development, implementation and periodic review. The district must also tell the public about the policy’s content and implementation, and make the policy and any updates available annually. It must report progress toward the goals and compliance by making its triennial assessment available in an accessible and easily understood manner.

The assessment every three years

Paragraph (e) is the accountability step. The district designates one or more officials to make sure each participating school complies. At least once every three years it must assess compliance and make the results public. The assessment has to measure implementation and include three things: how far schools comply, how the district’s policy compares with model local wellness policies, and what progress has been made toward the goals. The district then updates or modifies the policy based on the assessment.

The regulation does not specify a format, length or who writes the model policy. The comparison to model policies is a required element of the assessment, which is why many districts look at model language from State agencies or national organizations.

Records to keep

Under paragraph (f), a district must retain records that document compliance. They include the written policy, evidence that community involvement and public availability requirements were met for both the policy and the triennial assessment, and the documentation of the triennial assessment for each school under its jurisdiction. The list says “but not limited to,” so a State reviewer can ask for more.

How it connects to the other school food rules

The wellness policy is where the meal rules and the competitive food rules are brought into one local document. Standards for food sold must track the meal pattern rules in § 210.10 and the Smart Snacks standards in § 210.11, which are summarized on our Smart Snacks page. The policy may go further than the federal floor, as long as it stays consistent with it. A parent who wants to see what the district has promised, or who wants a role in reviewing it, can ask the district for the current policy, the latest triennial assessment, and the names of the officials responsible.

What this page does not cover

The checklist reports how many of the six items you ticked; it does not read a policy for quality and cannot judge whether goals are evidence-based. Federal funding conditions, State law and district board procedures add other requirements that live outside 7 CFR 210.31.

Sources

• 7 CFR 210.31, Local school wellness policy: eCFR text current through the October 29, 2026 issue date. Read November 2, 2026.
• 7 CFR 210.11, Competitive food service and standards: eCFR text current through the October 29, 2026 issue date. Read November 2, 2026.

Edition read: 7 CFR 210.31 and 210.11 (eCFR, current through the October 29, 2026 issue date). This page summarizes the rule and does not replace it.