School Health

• Burlington School District
• Champlain Valley School District
• Colchester School District
• Essex Westford School District 
• Milton Town School District
• Mount Mansfield Unified Union School District
• South Burlington School District
• Winooski School District

We help schools develop wellness teams to build a culture of good health and wellness using the Whole School, Whole Community, Whole Child model.

We assist school nurses so they can better support student and family access to health services. Learn more about how we work with school nurses.

Today’s students come to school with more challenges related to health and learning than ever before. Essential School Health Services focuses on improving student outcomes, school attendance, the mitigation of challenges such as chronic health conditions, complex medical needs, and other barriers related to social determinants of health, such as poverty, unemployment, illiteracy, food and housing insecurity, and lack of health care.

We serve on the Advisory Committee of the Winooski School District’s School Based Health Center. In collaboration with University Pediatrics and Community Health Centers of Burlington, the School Based Health Center provides health services to interested students. Students can receive health care on school grounds which allows them to return to the classroom rather than be sent home to visit a doctor or urgent care facility. 

Learn More:
Standards of Practice: School Health Services Manual

We help schools support access to medical care and promote medical and dental homes for children and youth. We support the promotion of annual well-care visits following the Bright Futures guidelines.

The 802 Smiles Network of School Dental Health Programs connects Vermont's various school dental health programs under one umbrella. Its goal is to eliminate oral health disparities and improve oral health for all Vermont children.

We are a member of the Pediatric Action Team of the Chittenden Accountable Community for Health. This multi-agency action teamwork works to increase the rates of adolescent well care visits in Chittenden County. Through education efforts with schools, health care providers, and the community at-large, we hope to communicate the benefits of annual well care visits with adolescents and their families, as recommended by the Bright Futures guidelines. Learn More:

• Dental Health Care in Vermont
• Health Care and Screening Guidelines
• Health Care for Children & Youth in Vermont
• Immunizations - K-12 School Nurses and Administrators
• Vermont Health Connect

The Health Department and the Vermont Agency of Education sponsor the Vermont Youth Risk Behavior Survey. The YRBS was developed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention  to monitor priority health risk behaviors that contribute to the leading causes of death, disease, injury and social problems among middle and high school students. We share this public health data with schools and communities to promote response to decrease risk behaviors.

We encourage schools to use YRBS data to make decisions about how to support student health. One way to do this is the Getting to Y program, which is an opportunity for students to take a lead in bringing meaning to their own Youth Risk Behavior Survey data, and to take steps to strengthen their school and community.

We help schools use their YRBS data to plan and implement wellness policies, procedures, and practices. This ensures initiatives are data-informed and resources are focused on issues and populations with the greatest need.

We support schools in implementing proven strategies such as Farm-to-School, Safe Routes to School, and Girls on the Run. Find out more about strategies to improve health of Vermont’s school-aged children.

We believe all students should have the opportunity to walk and bike safely to school.  Our School Health Specialist is a Safe Routes to School regional expert and can offer advice, guidance, and technical assistance to schools implementing Safe Routes to School programs and activities.

We help local education agencies to meet the objectives of the Medicaid Administrative Claiming agreement.