Ron Blankenship knows all too well that there’s more to educating a child than imparting knowledge. In rural Calhoun County where he is superintendent of schools, about 68 percent of children come from low-income homes.
“There are many children in our schools that I know are getting the best meals they’ll have all day at school,” Blankenship says. “Student support services like child nutrition are critically important to the education of the whole child.”
Making sure children get enough to eat as well as making sure they get to school safely are just a few of the benefits provided by the West Virginia Department of Education’s Division of Student Support Services. Such services provide the infrastructure that allows schools to become better equipped to reduce barriers to learning and enhance healthy development.
Nutrition By The Numbers West Virginia schools were recently recognized nationally for serving free or reduced-price breakfasts to a greater proportion of children from low-income families than any other state in the nation. The Food Research and Action Center’s School Breakfast Scorecard 2006 shows that West Virginia served breakfast to 58.5 children for every 100 children who also participated in the federal School Lunch Program. Nationally, 44.6 low income children received breakfast for every 100 eating lunch, the report states. Overall, West Virginia public schools served 32.3 million lunches to students last year and 14.6 million breakfasts.
Children who eat breakfast and lunch at school consume twice as many servings of fruits, vegetables and milk than those who don’t participate in school programs. They also drink one-fourth fewer soft drinks and skip fewer meals. That’s especially important in West Virginia where 51 percent of students qualify for free school meals.
“Research proves time and time again that there is a significant link between nutrition and learning,” says state Superintendent of Schools Steve Paine. “A well-nourished child does better on tests, has fewer behavior problems and has less absenteeism.”
One in three West Virginia children born today will likely develop diabetes by the time they grow up. The state is consistently among the top three states for obesity with about a third of its residents considered obese and more considered overweight, according to the state Bureau of Public Health.
Healthy Food
The West Virginia Board of Education recognizes this challenge and that’s why it has embraced innovative programs to increase school nutrition, including serving breakfast after first period and in the classroom as well as offering grab and go items and hallway breakfast carts.
State policy also prohibits the sale of sodas in elementary and middle schools and requires only healthy drinks be sold. It also prohibits the sale of candy or chewing gum and limits what is sold in vending machines and when the machines can be turned on so that they don’t interfere with school lunches.
Still, West Virginia recognizes that kids want foods that appeal to them. Schools try to offer healthier versions of comfort foods while also providing nutritional education as part of an effort to improve overall health and wellness. Schools offer healthy choices, such as salad bars, but they also may offer biscuits and gravy made with a reduced fat biscuit mix and a zero fat gravy mix. The fries are oven-baked and the pizza is made with a multi-grain crust.
Super Safety Record
While West Virginia does a good job of meeting the nutritional needs of its students, the state’s record of getting children to and from school in a dependable and safe manner also is impeccable thanks to our drivers, mechanics and trainers. According to the National Safety Council, West Virginia has one of the safest transportation systems in the country.
That is no small accomplishment since 82 percent of students in the public school system travel to and from school on our buses. That means nearly 230,000 children travel 42.7 million miles of roadway in West Virginia every year aboard about 3,000 school buses.
Another reason for our great safety record is that we set standards that are higher than the national average. A few years ago, West Virginia implemented a field inspection program that has since become a national model. The program has identified several mechanical defects that have led to national recalls. Our state also was one of the first to use cameras aboard buses to further ensure safety.
In this era of Columbine and Virginia Tech, most parents are under the impression that there is a huge risk of violence at school when in fact that risk pales in comparison to the risk of making the wrong choice in school-related transportation. The single greatest risk to children in the United Sates is not violence inside the school building, but how they get to and from school. The big yellow school bus may not be the cool way to get to school, but it's the safest.
“If it weren’t for our transportation system, many children would not be able to participate in our afterschool tutoring program, music activities or athletics,” Blankenship says. “Music and athletics are so important because they help keep kids in school.”
Providing Health Care
When it comes to student health, the school obligation is no longer limited to treating playground injuries and conducting head lice searches. Schools today are asked to take on a much more active role in promoting physical well-being and the Division of Student Support Services is here to help children and their families succeed.
In classrooms across the state, 17,545 students require specialized health care procedures every day as more and more children with asthma, attention-deficit disorder, food allergies and other increasingly prevalent health problems attend public schools. Statewide, 210 school nurses serve more than 279,000 children, many of whom take multiple prescription drugs. To help address the costs of such care, we have distributed $1 million in health care needs reimbursement and secured another $1 million for 2007-2008.Our Office of Healthy Schools also is a primary provider of tobacco prevention education. Through RAZE, a youth empowerment movement in nearly every West Virginia high school, tobacco use among teenagers has significantly dropped in recent years. In 1999, West Virginia had the highest tobacco use rate in the United States at 42 percent. Our tobacco prevention programs have resulted in a 38 percent reduction in tobacco use among high school students and a 52 percent reduction of tobacco use on school property. West Virginia schools have graduated more than 3,500 fewer smokers because of the smoking reduction rate, which has a medical cost savings of $38 million a year. Not only do public schools work to meet students’ physical health needs, they also are working to improve the air they breathe and the climate of the schoolhouse. Studies show that optimized indoor air quality can increase student performance by about 17 percent and reduce utility costs by up to 30 percent a year.
The West Virginia Department of Education has implemented a proactive indoor air quality program with support from the West Virginia Bureau of Public Health and the West Virginia Legislature. Staff members have completed indoor air quality reviews, identified problems, provided technical assistance to schools and made recommendations.
“There are a number of studies that show external influence can affect how children learn and what they learn,” Blankenship says. “Students and teachers alike do better when they feel better about their surroundings. It’s a piece of the overall education puzzle.”
Statewide, the West Virginia Department of Education spends about $270 million every year to operate and maintain 727 buildings ranging from new construction to more than 100 years old. Expenditures include about $60 million on utilities alone.
Language Barrier
Just as more and more children with health challenges are in our schools today, so too are children whose first language is not English. West Virginia schools currently serve students who speak more than 60 different languages through English as a second language programs across the state.
The International School in Putnam County recently celebrated its 10th anniversary. Eight new Japanese teachers were hired this school year. West Virginia also added Chinese as a foreign language this year in cooperation with the College Board and Marshall University.
Through the College Board program, West Virginia was chosen to host three of 40 Chinese teachers who will bring their native language and culture to U.S. schools. The expansion of Chinese into West Virginia schools is part of the state Department of Education’s effort to promote global awareness and 21st Century Learning.
“Providing our children with the opportunity to understand the Chinese language and culture will give them a better chance of succeeding in today’s global economy,” state Superintendent of Schools Steve Paine says. “We have to face the future if our children are to be competitive. Rest assured China will be part of that future.”
With China poised to become the next global economic superpower, policymakers say it’s essential that American schools expand their Chinese studies. More than 200 million children in China study English, but only 24,000 American students study Chinese.
As West Virginia prepares its children to meet the demands of a 21st century global economy, it is imperative that we not only address the diverse needs of our students but also make sure they are prepared to live in a tolerant society. We must give children the opportunity to gain a better understanding of the world if they are to succeed.As the world changes, we will continue to adapt to provide students with the support they need to become successful in the 21st century. Core subjects are the foundation upon which a well-rounded education is built. Only by addressing the health and safety of children as well will children be able to make the transition from school to the real world of the 21st century. PQ: “There are many children in our schools that I know are getting the best meals they’ll have all day at school.”
Nearly 230,000 children travel 42.7 million miles of roadway in West Virginia every year aboard about 3,000 school buses.
Our tobacco prevention programs have resulted in a 38 percent reduction in tobacco use among high school students and a 52 percent reduction of tobacco use on school property.