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“The Portland Public Schools District is committed to developing students’ skills and behaviors that promote lifelong wellness.  The School Board recognizes that a students’ readiness to learn is related to his/her physical and psychological well being.  The District is committed to creating healthy school environments that allow students to take full advantage of the educational programs offered at Portland Public Schools.”  - Portland Public Schools Local Wellness Policy

News Flash 

The Portland Board of Public Education has passed new and revised policies to support physical activity and nutrition in our schools.  The following policies have been approved:

• Nutrition Standards for Foods and Beverages (EFEA)
• Local Wellness (JL)
• Competitive Food Sales (EFE)
• Student Discipline (JK)
• Walk and Bike to School (JLID)
• Health Education (IHAM)

These policies can be accessed on the district's policy web page, use the referenced code to look up the policy alphabetically.  Policies will be implemented in the coming weeks and months with full implementation expected at the start of the 2012-2013 school year.  For more information and resources about these policies, please refer to the Nutrition and Physical Activity/Physical Education tabs to the right.

Coordinated School Health Programs

Portland Schools uses a coordinated approach to district wellness called the Coordinated School Health Programs (CSHP).  CSHP is an effective system designed to connect health with education.  This coordinated approach improves health and students’ capacity to learn through the support of families, communities, and schools working  together.

There are eight components to a Coordinated School Health Model: Comprehensive School Health Education Physical Education/Physical Activity School Health Services Nutrition Services Employee Wellness Physical Environment Healthy School Climates Family and Community Involvement

More information about each component, including resources for educators and parents, can be found in the tabs to the right.  More information about the supports and resources available to schools can be found in the PDF file to the right.

Portland Public School’s Coordinated School Health Program is supported through competitive grant funding under the Healthy Maine Partnerships.  We employ a full-time School Health Coordinator who is responsible for the initiative.  For more information, contact Chanda Turner, School Health Coordinator at turnecportlandschools [dot] org or (207) 842-5356.


“School systems are not responsible for meeting every need of their students.  But where the need directly affects learning, the school must meet the challenge.  So it is with Health.”  - Carnegie Council on Adolescent Development, 1991

**Much of the information and content for the District Wellness website pages comes from the State of Maine Guidelines for Coordinating School Health Programs, a publication of the Maine Department of Education and State Department of Human Services, January 2002.