The Henryetta Public School district was presented with a $5,000 check Monday as part of the Healthy School District Incentive Grant program
through the Tobacco Settlement Endowment Trust (TSET).
Dr. Terry Cline, Oklahoma State Department of Health Commissioner and Secretary of Health and Human Services, Tracey Strader, TSET Executive Director, Senator Roger Thompson, Re. Steve Kouplen and
Sharon Howard, TSET Healthy Schools Program Manager, and members of the Okmulgee County Wellness Coalition presented a plaque and big check to Superintendent Dwayne Noble, Elementary Principal Kelly Furer, and members of the Henryetta Board of Education.
The presentation was made at the school board meeting.
To receive the incentive grant, Henryetta Public Schools put a variety of policies and strategies in place to promote health and wellness for students and staff. The district has chosen to use the
grant funds to purchase physical education and health education curriculum, an Automatic External Defibrillator (AED) a lifesaving device in the event of sudden cardiac arrest, and a new
drinking fountain.
The Healthy School District Incentive Grant criteria focus on strengthening district wellness policies to improve school nutrition, increase physical activity, and provide tobacco-free environments for students, staff, faculty and families. These health-promoting practices and policies are recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
"These grants recognize the efforts of schools and school districts that are actively promoting healthy lifestyles. Studies show that active, healthy kids perform better in school," said TSET Executive Director Tracey Strader. "Habits formed early last a lifetime and we want to recognize schools that are making the healthy choice the easy choice for students, staff and the community."
Dr. Cline also attended the community celebration and praised Henryetta schools for its commitment to improving health.

"Henryetta Schools is helping to create a culture of health," Cline said. "These efforts impact students, staff and influence the community to be a healthier place and helping young people develop healthy habits that will last a lifetime."
Incentive grants for school districts are based on district enollment and strategies implemented. Grant funds may be used for projects that advance health. TSET offers incentive grants to school districts that have schools in their district that have been recognized as a Certified Healthy Schools as part of the Certified Healthy Oklahoma program and have met TSET incentive grant criteria. Certified Healthy Oklahoma is a partnership between the Oklahoma Academy for State Goals, the Oklahoma Turning Point Council, the State Chamber and the Oklahoma State Department of Health.
TSET was created by a constitutional amendment in 2000 as a long term strategy to improve health and ensure settlement payments from a 1998 multi-state lawsuit against the tobacco industry are used to improve the health of all Oklahomans. The funds are placed in an endowment to ensure a growing funding source for generations to come. Only the earnings from the endowment are used to fund grants and programs.