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For much of American history, schools have been seen primarily as places for children to learn academics like reading,听writing听and arithmetic.

Over time, educators, health professionals and policymakers have come to recognize that student success involves more than just academics alone 鈥� it also includes the health and well-being of students.

As a result, schools have evolved from places focused primarily on academics into institutions that also promote physical fitness, proper nutrition and preventive healthcare.

Physical education

The听 in schools evolved from the 19th-century focus on military preparation, with PE being used as a tool to help train and educate soldiers for battle. Following the Civil War, some schools adopted laws requiring physical education programs in public schools to better prepare future generations for war.

In 1855, 听became the first city to include PE in its public school system.听California became the first state to mandate PE in 1866.

Although the aftermath of the Civil War helped shape mandatory physical training laws, the requirements gained traction and became more widespread around World War I and听 when nearly one-third of military draftees were听deemed听unfit for combat.

In the 1950s, the听听further proved that Americans were not as physically fit as expected, which led to more focus placed on physical fitness. As a result,听听was formed in 1956 to raise public awareness about American children鈥檚 declining physical fitness.

Nutrition

The military draft also played a role in shaping nutritional guidance for students. Congress passed the听听in 1946 after听听about the number of World War II recruits rejected due to diet-related health problems.

Before the legislation, school lunch programs were scattered and unstable, often relying on local dollars and short-lived federal relief. The creation of the National School Lunch Act听established听a nationwide, federally funded commitment to ensure that schools across the country had the resources and standardized support to feed students consistently.

Since then, school meals have evolved from providing nationwide funding to also creating nutritional standards in schools.

More recently,听 鈥� signed by then-President Barack Obama 鈥� reshaped the nation鈥檚 school nutrition programs by updating meal standards and expanding federal support for child nutrition. The law became a central pillar of Michelle Obama鈥檚 Let鈥檚 Move! campaign, which aimed to curb rising childhood obesity rates.

Oral health

The health of America鈥檚 children extends beyond efforts to improve physical fitness and nutritional standards. Oral health became an increasingly important part of school health initiatives as educators and healthcare professionals recognized the connection between dental health and overall well-being.

In 1915,听听became one of the first states to enact a dental screening law for school-aged children. Three decades later, Pennsylvania听established听statewide requirements for oral health assessments听in听specific grade levels.

National attention to children’s oral health continued to grow throughout the twentieth century. In 2003, the听听formally adopted听a听 encouraging oral health examinations before kids start school.

The recommendation was built on existing concerns noted in the landmark 鈥� which highlighted the impacts of untreated dental disease on children’s health.

In response, a number of states, including California, Illinois, Kentucky and New York, enacted legislation during the 2000s 听for school-aged children. Today, 16 states and the District of Columbia require dental exams or screenings before or during a child’s school years.听

From early dental screenings to more nutritious lunches, these initiatives reflect a broader evolution in American education, where schools have increasingly served not only as places for learning, but also as promoters of children’s health.

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