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  Home Page » News » 9R Earns State Health Award

9-R earns state health award

by Dale Rodebaugh
Herald Staff Writer The Colorado Department of Education has recognized Durango School District 9-R for its effort to improve health education, nutrition and physical activity.

Awards to Durango 9-R and 10 other school districts, made in Denver on Thursday, coincided with the release of the Colorado Legacy Foundation's new online 2009 Health and Wellness Best Practices Guide. The foundation hosted the Commissioner's Choice Awards gathering.

"We were recognized for multiple areas of excellence," 9-R Superintendent Keith Owen said Friday. "We've had a pretty strong commitment to coordinated school health and it continues." The district began to develop its health and wellness plan about five years ago. As a result, today there are no high-fat, sugary snacks at the high school or sodas or candy in elementary school vending machines.

"For our size we have one of the best coordinated school-health programs in the state," Owen said. "We've shown exemplary commitment to that goal."

There are 178 school districts in the state, Owen said.

In presenting the awards, Commissioner of Education Dwight D. Jones said:

"Schools are ideal settings for developing healthy habits that last well into adulthood, especially considering that kids spend almost half of their waking hours in school. Healthy schools provide nutritious meals, snacks and beverages and require that students are physically active every day."

Schools teach what it means to be healthy, offer access to health-care services and have effective workplace wellness programs, Jones said.

"Colorado has a reputation as an active, fit state," Jones said. "We boast the lowest adult obesity rates in the country, but the data tells a different story for our children. More than one in 10 Colorado high school students is overweight."

Despite what some may say, providing health services is the responsibility of schools because they help students manage chronic illness, administer medication and provide health counseling, Jones said. The payoff can be huge because management of chronic illness increases attendance, and increased attendance boosts the chances of academic success.