Page 73 - Superintendent Report 2023-24

Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program
The Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program (FFVP) is an elementary school program sponsored by the
United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) that provides all children in participating schools with
a variety of free fresh fruit and vegetable snacks during the school day while providing fun educational
facts about the fruit or vegetable. The FFVP is an effective and creative way of introducing students
to healthy snack options by exposing them to fruits and vegetables they otherwise may not have the
opportunity to sample. This grant of $659,000 allowed for 22 elementary schools to participate serving
over 750,000 fresh fruit and vegetable snacks.
Table 2
Fruits and Vegetables Served in FY23
Asparagus
Asparagus Chayote Squash Jicama Red Grapes
Broccoli Euro Cucumber Kiwi Sliced Apples
Candy Stripe Beet Golden Beets Lemon Slices Sugarsnap
Cantaloupe Grape Tomatoes Mango Sweet Potato
Carrot Coin Grapefruit Orange Slices Yellow Squash
Celery/Radish Green Pepper Pineapple Zucchini Mango
Honeydew Red Beets

Student Support for Mental Health

Multi-tiered Mental Health Support
The well-being of children and adolescents is essential. With 1 out of 6 youths experiencing a mental disorder each year and
increasing rates of behavioral and mental health concerns, school-based mental health care is a vital part of multi-tiered
student support systems. Mentally healthy students are more likely to go to school ready to learn, actively engage in school
activities, have supportive and caring connections with adults and young people, use appropriate problem-solving skills,
use positive behaviors, and add to positive school culture.

The Behavioral and Mental Health Framework provides a road map for schools to follow when creating new and aligning
existing resources. This is a collaborative system that engages school-based and community-based stakeholders. The
school-based stakeholders leverage the unique skill sets of professionals (e.g., school counselors, school psychologists,
school behavioral health professionals, and co-located mental health professionals) to provide a broad range of services to
benefit student well-being. The community-based stakeholders expand family connection to the 34 service providers with
Behavioral Health Agreements (BHA) through mental health referrals.

EDUCATE | AFFIRM | INSPIRE // 73