School Board Candidate Information: Sheila Prior

As mentioned last week, we invited the four candidates who expressed interest in and/or support for our group and goals to share their thoughts on our 47-page report, For the Health of Our Children, An Analysis of the Wayzata Public Schools Culinary Program and Wellness Policy, and how they would support our goals if elected. Our second candidate is Sheila Roberts Prior. This is her response:

"Hello Healthy Food & Healthy Habits group! I hope by now you know I am running for Wayzata School board and that I support the mission of this group. I believe the Wayzata lunch program should be as reputable as its academic program, but right now it falls short. I have three children in the district, so this issue hits close to home for me.

Healthy eating should be a priority in this district, as it impacts every child at the most basic level, affecting learning, behavior, and general well-being. Moreover, eating habits learned in school can stay with a child into adulthood; if our goal is to prepare students for life after graduation, we should be teaching them healthy eating habits. I am a scientist by training, and there is much data to support implementing the goals of this group.

The district has made strides toward providing healthier lunches, including hiring a new Director of Culinary Express, limiting chocolate milk to one day a week, and implementing “Try it Tuesdays” and “Around the World Wednesdays.” However, the district has failed to eliminate ingredients of concern, and it is promoting unhealthy habits with some of its à-la-carte and entrée offerings. Moreover, many parents report that their elementary aged children do not have time during the lunch period to finish their meals, and the district has not yet implemented a district-wide policy of scheduling recess before lunch.

I have read the report compiled by Rochelle Dotzenrod, Karla Lemmon, and others in this group, and I support its recommendations. There are many opportunities for the Wayzata District to improve its lunch program without raising prices and without over-burdening culinary staff. Other districts have paved the way in these areas.

If elected, I will engage administrators, parents, and culinary staff to find workable solutions for replacing current ingredients of concern and à-la-carte options with healthier versions. I will also investigate ways to add time to the lunch period, as well as ways to eliminate the need for students to wear their outdoor winter gear while eating. Other areas of action include reevaluating the district’s decision to withdraw from the federal high school lunch program, creating higher nutrition standards for the district, providing consistent oversight of the lunch program, and incorporating more environmentally friendly practices.

Making healthy habits a priority in the district will require support from multiple members of the school board plus buy-in from administrators, parents, and staff. I have experience driving change in my previous school district, Robbinsdale. I led my community in bringing back an elementary school to a vacant school in my old neighborhood. This involved working with the Robbinsdale school board and administration as well as with the Plymouth city council and Plymouth planning commission. The eventual solution that resulted in the FAIR Pilgrim Lane School now inhabiting the building in my old neighborhood was referred to informally in meetings as "The Sheila Prior Plan.”

In terms of my background, I have a bachelor of science in biology from Duke University, and I managed a Neurobiology lab at Duke until moving to Minnesota. I am currently a stay-at-home parent. Besides wanting to improve school lunches, I also have plans for managing district growth and eliminating the opportunity gap. If you would like to read more about me and where I stand on other issues, please visit my website, https://www.sheilaprior.com/.

I hope you will give me a chance to serve on the Wayzata school board. You'll find me to be a knowledgable and persistent ally in this group's mission to improve lunches in our district. Whether I'm giving voice to my community, advocating for my child with dyslexia, or ensuring my neighborhood's bus stop is on the safe side of the road, I am a tireless advocate who does not give up easily. I believe strongly that the Wayzata district should be doing more to provide healthy lunches for our students. I also believe that community input is extremely important, so please reach out to me in the comments with your suggestions, feedback, and questions!

For more information on how food affects health, I recommend reviewing the Promedica report on the social determinants of health (https://www.promedica.org/socialdeterminants/pages/default.aspx) or the Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion on the same topic (https://www.healthypeople.gov/2020/topics-objectives/topic/social-determinants-health/interventions-resources/food-insecurity)

Thank you for your consideration,

Sheila"