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Breaking News: Little Rock School District Just Became First in U.S. to Pass Hydration Policies

A new policy could change health and wellness inside Little Rock schools in a big way.

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The Little Rock School District just became the first school district in the nation to adopt a hydration policy. The measure allows students to bring water bottles with them into classrooms and it requires all new construction and major renovation projects that happen at schools to include water bottle filling stations in their blueprints.

“An average child consumes more than 30 gallons of sugary drinks each year; that’s enough to fill a bathtub! We applaud the Little Rock School District for taking this action to make sure the healthiest choice for students is the easiest one,” said Dave Oberembt, the government relations director of the American Heart Association.                              

The move is an effort to encourage healthy habits and to address the number of students at an unhealthy weight. Right now, more than 40% of students in the Little Rock School District are at an unhealthy weight.

Water consumption has been shown to help increase cognitive function in students. The move is seen as a measure that will help children grow up to be healthy active adults.

Congratulations to the American Heart Association Central Arkansas. The implementation of this policy serves to improve the health of Little Rock students for years to come!

Want to make progress in your community? Coming soon: The Voices for Healthy Kids Water Access toolkit!