School Health Advisory Council

What is a School Health Advisory Council (SHAC)?

Every independent school system is required by law to have a School District Health Advisory Council; of which the majority of members must be parents who are not employed by the school district.  Title 2, Chapter 28, Section 28.004 of the Texas Education Code details the specifics of this mandate.

A SHAC is a group of individuals representing segments of the community, appointed by the school district to serve at the district level, to provide advice to the district on coordinated school health programming and its impact on student health and learning. It is a diverse, cross community organization that is committed to providing a coordinated school health program that will assist and promote a sound foundation for all students and staff of Roma ISD to be healthy physically, mentally, emotionally and socially regardless of gender, ethnicity, special needs, or economic situation.

SHACs provide an efficient, effective structure for creating and implementing age-appropriate, sequential health education programs, and early intervention and prevention strategies that can easily be supported by local families and community stakeholders. 

What are the benefits of having a SHAC?

1. Addressing the health needs of students helps meet district performance goals and alleviates financial constraints.
2. SHACs play an important role in communicating the connection between health and learning to school administrators, parents and community stakeholders.
3. SHACs can help parents and community reinforce the health knowledge and skills children need to be healthy for a lifetime.

Resources