During the 2022-23 school year, a group of Katy ISD stakeholders were tasked with advising the district on its coordinated school health programming—which incorporates physical and health education; mental health services; staff wellness; and parent and community involvement.
The School Health Advisory Council provides insight on Katy ISD's school health programming. (Courtesy The Cooper Institute)
In a nutshell: KISD’s School Health Advisory Council, a program established during the 2003 legislative session with Senate Bill 1357, was created to provide school health program planning; promote school health; make cost-associated school health recommendations; and collaborate with the district and state agencies to locate health services, create food service programs, share federal and state funds and make policy—per the Texas Department of State Health Services.

The purpose of the SHAC is also to ensure that local community values and health issues are reflected in the school district’s human growth and development lessons, according to district officials.

The group is led by Howard Grimet—the district’s coordinator of physical education, health and outdoor learning center. The SHAC is composed of parents, teachers, administrators, health care professionals, nonprofits and law enforcement officers.

Grimet said the SHAC's goals this year were identifying legislative updates and the statewide Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills curriculum related to health and physical education.

“Katy ISD’s top priority is to provide unparalleled learning experiences for students using a Whole School, Whole Community, Whole Child (WSCC) approach, which focuses on health education and learning to develop a lifetime of healthy living,” Grimet said in an emailed statement.
The SHAC ensures the Katy ISD community's values are incorporated in the district's health lessons. (Courtesy Pexels)
A closer look: At a May 15 school board meeting, Grimet outlined the topics in each of the four SHAC meetings in the 2022-23 school year—which occurred Oct. 13, Nov. 17, Jan. 19 and March 9.


Grimet said in an email that each topic had to relate to one of eight focus areas: health education; physical education; parent and community involvement; staff wellness promotion; counseling and mental health services; healthy and safe school environment; health services; and nutrition services.

Oct. 13
  • The group reviewed KISD’s health curriculum related to human sexuality, family violence, dating violence, human trafficking and child abuse.
  • The SHAC learned about the elementary and secondary schools opt-in windows and the procedures for parental preview of instructional materials.
  • The group reviewed the school nurse certification for CPR, AED, and Stop the Bleed programs.
  • These stakeholders received information on campus blood drives and updated procedures for reporting COVID-19 cases.
  • The group also learned about meals served to the community by KISD, kitchen remodeling projects and the Coordinated Approach to Child Health program, or CATCH—an evidence-based health education and “whole child wellness” curriculum that reaches over 3 million prekindergarten to 12th grade students annually.
The SHAC reviewed information on campus blood drives and school nurse certifications at the first 2022-23 meeting. (Courtesy Pexels)
Nov. 17
  • The SHAC viewed the actual health lessons related to the prevention of child abuse, family violence, dating violence and sex trafficking for students in grades 5-8.
  • The group voted unanimously to approve the district’s plan for implementing the new health TEKS related to human sexuality, family violence, dating violence, human trafficking and prevention of child abuse, as mandated by SB 9.
  • The group learned about local nonprofit group Katy Christian Ministries' community services.
  • The SHAC received information on the Limelight Run and support of teacher grants by the Katy Educational Foundation.
  • Finally, the group received information regarding affordable health care services available to underserved and uninsured communities in the Spring Branch and West Houston areas.
Jan. 19
  • At this meeting, the SHAC reviewed the district’s standard emergency response protocols and a safety exercise planned for June.
  • The group also received an update on the CATCH program curriculum.
March 9
  • The group reviewed KISD’s policy priorities for the 88th Texas legislative session.
  • The SHAC also reviewed programs provided by the MD Anderson Cancer Center available to schools and parent teacher associations.
  • During the final meeting of the year, the group reviewed and approved the annual SHAC report and provided feedback on future meeting dates, times, locations and topics.
To review future meeting dates as well as audio recordings of the four meetings from the 2022-23 school year, visit the SHAC website.