Schools play a key role in supporting student well-being, and a new analysis of governors’ 2022–25 State of the State addresses and legislation introduced across the country show state policymakers are increasingly adapting comprehensive health supports to help local educational agencies provide children with better access to mental and behavioral health and nutrition services.
According to Education Commission of The States Assistant Policy Director Zeke Perez Jr., who authored the latest policy snapshot, student health and wellness first surfaced as an emerging trend in 2019 and continued as a top issue every year since.
“Research shows that healthy behaviors among students have a positive impact on academic achievement, including improved grades, attendance, graduation rates and performance on assessments,” Perez wrote. “With an ever-changing array of physical and mental health needs for students and staff, state policymakers are adapting comprehensive health supports. This captures a spectrum of student health support elements, including health education, mental and behavioral health, and nutrition services. Recent policies have ranged from targeted adjustments like allowing school nurses to administer specific medications to broader approaches like establishing universal free school meals or creating school-based health centers.”
Key findings
School-based health services, health education, training on responses to specific health issues and adjustments to physical activity have become popular policy options to address physical health, according to the report.
The passage of Senate Bill 291 in California, which was enacted in 2023, was cited for having a positive impact on children. The bill requires that recess be at least 30 minutes on regular instructional days and at least 15 minutes on early release days and prohibits restricting a student’s recess time as a form of discipline. The free-play structure of recess and physical activity in general have been shown to have positive effects on academic, physical and social-emotional development.
Additional findings show that:
- In light of research suggesting nearly 20 percent of youth ages 3 to 17 in the U.S. have one or more mental, emotional, developmental or behavioral disorder (and that an estimated 70 to 80 percent of children with mental health disorders go without care), many state policymakers have sought to provide more comprehensive services and supports that are coordinated with schools and include mental health detection and care.
- Longstanding research detailing how nutrition affects student academic performance, thinking skills, behavior and health has prompted more states to establish school meals for all students. Eight states, including California, currently offer universal free breakfast and lunch. “Some states have sought to expand school meals to additional student populations, provide meals during summer or out-of-school time, ensure food quality in school meals or create task forces to research the impact of providing universal school meals throughout the school year,” the report states.
- As student support services increase, so has the need for qualified health professionals to provide those supports, yet many states are experiencing significant shortages in available school nurses, psychologists and counselors. To alleviate some of these barriers to maintaining a school health professional workforce, states have considered legislative solutions to support workforce development programs, provide loan repayment and reduce licensure barriers for school health professionals, among other strategies.
