Family & Community Services FAQ

• How can parents become involved in school health?

  Parents through their local school health councils can become actively involved. Parents should also be involved in the local school wellness policy.

• Who regulates the school lunch program?

  The United States Department of Agriculture regulates the National School Lunch and School Breakfast Program. The Office of Child Nutrition Programs of the Mississippi Department of Education administers the program for Mississippi schools.

• How can a parent contribute to an increased amount of physical activity in the school setting?

  A parent can volunteer to teach a fitness classes during or after the school day.

• Why do school buses not have seatbelts?

  School buses utilize compartmentalization that affords the occupant of a crash a padded area in which he or she will be contained. The seat back in front of the occupant is padded and in a crash the occupant moves freely into the seat back and the crash forces are spread out over a large area of the occupants body thus reducing the energy absorbed by any part of the body which reduces injury.

• Should parents be involved in school safety planning?

  A parent representative should be appointed to the crisis response planning committee.

• Do all school districts have alternative schools?

  Beginning with the school year 2004-2005, the school boards of all school districts shall establish, maintain and operate, in connection with the regular programs of the school district, an alternative school program or behavior modification program as defined by the State Board of Education.

• Are school facilities available for public use?

  Yes, each local school district can offer use of facilities as provided in local school board policy.

• What is coordinated school health?

  It is an approach to address all needs of students. It is based on an eight-component model that includes the coordination of physical education, nutrition education, health services, staff wellness, family/community involvement, environmental services, health education, and counseling/psychological services.

• Why implement a coordinated approach to school health?

  Based on the relationship between student health and academic achievement it is crucial that schools address the health needs of students. Schools are providing many of these services, however through the coordinated approach staff will be able to better meet the needs of students. Through the coordinated approach districts can maximize resources, avoid duplication of efforts, and provide constant and continuous health information to students. This approach is also relies heavily on parental/community involvement and supports the direct involvement of each. 

• Are there any state policies that support coordinated school health?

  There are several policies that support school health. To begin your search, please review Mississippi Code 37-13-134, Mississippi Public School Accountability Standards 32 and 33 and Senate Bill 2602.

• What are the requirements for Physical Education?

  Mississippi Public School Accountability Standards require physical education to be a part of the basic curriculum of any configuration of grades K-8. Also, physical education is required to be offered on an elective basis in all high schools. Mississippi code 37-13-134 provides recommendations for the amount of time students should participate in physical education.

• Should all students be allowed to take physical education?

  A quality physical education program should teach age appropriate skills for any student.

• What are the requirements for Comprehensive Health Education?

  There is a ½ Carnegie unit requirement for graduation.

• What are the state standards for Mississippi?

  Mississippi Framework’s for Health and Physical Education contain competencies. These are bold statements, based on the Nation Standards that are required to be taught.

• Can a regular classroom teacher teach health education in grades K-8?

  Yes.

• How does an individual become licensed and/or certified to drive and school bus?

  Individuals wishing to drive a school bus must be at least 18 years of age, possess a valid CDL with all the proper endorsements, have at least 20-40 visual acuity and be insurable by a third party insurance carrier. Additionally, applicants must pass a criminal background check and a drug screen test annually by the local school district. [Refer to Code Section 37-41-1 (d), (e)]

• Are school safety plans required for local school districts?

  Yes, statutory law of the regular session of the 1999 Mississippi Legislature [refer to Code Section 37-3-83 (2)] states that the school board of each school district, with the assistance of the State Department of Education School Safety Center, shall adopt a comprehensive local school district school safety plan and shall update the plan on an annual basis.

• What are the minimum standards for school buses?

  The Mississippi minimum standards detail federal motor vehicle safety standards and state specifications for school buses. Standards of safe construction and exact dimensions insure consistency with safety and efficiency to increase the quality of the school bus. [Refer to Code Section 37-41-1 (c)]

• Are there guidelines for school building construction?

  The Office of Safe and Orderly Schools in collaboration with the Education Design Institute at Mississippi State University has published comprehensive guidelines entitled Mississippi School Design Guidelines for the design, construction, and maintenance of safe and effective K-12 school facilities.

• Are there funds available for school building construction?

  No state aid for construction is available at this time; currently the State Public School Building Fund’s diversion is utilized to fund MAEP.

• What resources does the Office of Child Nutrition provide to school food service programs regarding healthy choices?

  The Child Nutrition web site provides resources to many different areas of healthy eating. Child Nutrition provides MS Cycle II Menus for schools to assist them with promoting healthy choices and complying with USDA menu standards. USDA resource materials found at www.fns.usda.gov

   and www.teamnutrition.usda.gov/Resources/menuplanner.html and other web links are available to school districts on menu preparation and healthy alternatives as well as similar material from the Center for Disease Control (CDC) and 5-A-Day materials promoting fresh fruits and vegetables.

• Who can participate in the Summer Food Service Program?

  The Summer Food Service Program is open to Public and Private Non-Profit organizations who are serving children under the age of 19. Summer Feeding sites include city parks, churches, camps and schools. Most feeding sites offer meals to any child under age 19 in the surrounding area free of charge. Sites that restrict attendance may be required to determine each participating child’s eligibility status.

• What are some of the common practices for school food service staff and programs during a crisis situation?

  Each school district should have a crisis management plan which should include the food service area and its staff. A crisis in food service can come in the area of food borne illness, safety issues with equipment, chemicals, falling on slippery floors, fire or natural disasters. USDA regulations requires all food service areas to be inspected by the state Health Department, food safety procedures be established for food preparation and storage, and allows USDA foods to be utilized under certain conditions related to natural disasters.

• How does a student become eligible for participation in the free and reduced school lunch and breakfast program?

  Free and Reduced price meal eligibility in the School Lunch and Breakfast Programs is based on a child’s family income. Income eligibility is determined based on the submission of a School Lunch/Breakfast Meal Application or the direct certification of a child as a member of a family participating on the Food Stamp Program. Children classified as Migrant or Homeless are also classified as free eligible.

• Is there a policy regarding the sales of food outside the school lunch and breakfast program?

  Yes, State board policy restricts the sale of food items on school campus to one hour before the start of any meal service and until the end of the meal service.

• Is the Food Service Administrator responsible for the development and implementation of the Local School Wellness Policy?

  No. The Local Wellness Policy is a joint effort on the part of each school/ school district to evaluate and establish nutritional and physical education policies. A school health council made up of individuals from school and community leaders should propose a wellness policy to the school board for consideration and approval. Local Food Service Administrators should be a part of the school health council and should assist in the development of the local wellness policy, but the Food Service Administrator should not be given the sole responsibility to develop and implement the districts local wellness policy.

• What are the guidelines for dealing with students in an emergency situation when body fluids are present?

  The school district should establish uniform policies for dealing with the blood and body fluids of all individuals as if they were potentially infectious. Instructional and custodial staff should be provided protective equipment and instructed in the safe handling and clean up of body fluids.

• Are there resources available to assist school districts with the development of policies regarding communicable diseases?

  The Mississippi Department of Education, Office of Healthy Schools has an approved Guide For the Development of HIV Policies and Procedures for Local Education Agencies.

• What is the state standard for any sex related education taught in Mississippi public schools?

  Abstinence education shall be the state standard, however, local school boards may authorize by majority vote the teaching of sex education without instruction on abstinence. In such case, it is the duty of the school district to notify parents of this type instruction.

• What are the responsibilities of the EPSDT nurse?

  The Early and Periodic Screening Diagnosis and Treatment (EPSDT) program provides preventive and comprehensive health services for Medicaid-eligible children and youth up to age 21. EPSDT screening services must include the following: comprehensive health and developmental history, comprehensive physical examination, appropriate immunizations, laboratory tests, lead toxicity screening, adolescent counseling, health education, vision services, and hearing services. In addition, the EPSDT School Nurse is tasked with identifying eligible children, getting parental consent forms signed and returned, maintaining a periodicity schedule, scheduling appointments, working with and educating parents and other school personnel, working with provided computer software to file for reimbursement from Medicaid for approved screenings, and reconciling receipt of funds.

• How does the EPSDT support academic achievement?

  According to the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention, “research has shown that school health programs can effectively reduce the prevalence of health risk behaviors among young people and can also have a positive impact on students’ academic performance.” EPSDT assesses health care in early life so that potential disease and disabilities can be prevented or detected in their preliminary states, when they are most effectively treated. The program also assesses a child’s health at regular, recommended intervals in the child’s life to assure continued healthy development. Health services, like EPSDT, can help to reduce behavior problems, reduce absenteeism, and improve academic performance.

• Who can administer medication at the local school site?

  "The Board of Nursing has determined that medication administration is a component of school nursing practice, but it is not mandatory that the school nurse assume responsibility for medication administration in the school setting."

• Does a school need to have an established clinic for an EPSDT nurse?

  Grant recipients receive funding to add or renovate a school clinic - an amount not to exceed $10,000 – including the purchase of all equipment and supplies. The Division of Medicaid specifies the equipment and supplies that must be available in all clinics that offer EPSDT screening services. Medicaid issues a provider number to each site, and an onsite clinic inspection must be conducted by an EPSDT Review Nurse from the Maternal Child Health Bureau prior to EPSDT screenings and submission of Medicaid claims for screening services.

• What are the allowable expenditures for Title IV funding?

  Common expenditures include salaries for teacher/educator/instructor, nurses, counselors, social workers, prevention specialist, parent coordinators/liaisons, security officers, safety officers, or other security personnel.

• What programs do Title IV support?

  Title IV supports all programs to achieve the overall goal to improve student achievement. The Title IV program supports 5 of the 8 components of a coordinated approach to school health. These include Health Education, Health Services, Counseling and Psychological Services, Healthy School Environment and Parent and Community Involvement.

• Is there information available regarding the success of Title IV programs?

  Yes, evaluation is one of the five Principles of Effectiveness. Title IV has a strong accountability component. Through our Smart Track needs assessment surveys, we can measure and track data. MSIS is another very effective measurement tool where data on incidents and dispositions can be compared from year to year, school-by-school. Depending on the goals the district sets for Title IV, some districts include the results in the school report card and can use data such as drop out rates and school attendance as part of their effectiveness. Additionally, districts usually complete their own evaluation that include all federal programs and present the information to parents and community as well as to district personnel.