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Health & Wellness Policy
The mission of the Denver Public Schools is to provide all students the opportunity to achieve the knowledge and skills necessary to become contributing citizens in our diverse society. The policies and procedures of the Denver Public Schools are established by the Board of Education and serve as the guide to fulfilling the district’s mission.
In addition to the Board policies, the Food and Nutrition Services department at DPS must also comply with state and federal regulations and policies issued by the Colorado Department of Education (CDE) and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) with regard to school meals and food products available to students before, during and after school hours. Improving the nutritional content for all foods and beverages sold in schools is critical to: improve the diet and overall health of American children and to ensure children adopt healthy eating habits that will enable them to live productive lives.
As part of recent changes to the United States Department of Agriculture’s regulations for school district’s participating in the National School Lunch Program, Denver Public Schools has updated its wellness policy.
The new changes required that food sold and provided to students during the school day, outside of the school meal program, meet updated nutritional guidelines. The new guidelines are intended to reduce students’ consumption of high calorie foods and sugary drinks. This means healthier options like fruits and vegetables and less food like chips and candy for students. The updated policy will help us continue to foster an environment where students are healthy, engaged and safe.
These guidelines apply in all locations and through all services where food and beverages are provided and/or sold, which may include, but are not limited to school stores, parties and celebrations, and food provided as rewards or incentives in the classroom. The policy does NOT affect food sold for fundraisers, family night or sporting events.