In 2000, Tennessee State Legislators passed a bill (Tennessee Code Annotated 49-1-1002) which put funding into place for ten pilot Coordinated School Health (CSH) programs to be established throughout the state of Tennessee.  Pilot counties were given set standards and guidelines created by the Tennessee Department of Education; a detailed evaluation plan was also provided to each pilot county to be followed.  Due to the overwhelming success of the ten pilot county CSH programs, in 2006, the Coordinated School Health Expansion Act (Public Chapter 1001) established authority and funding to expand CSH statewide.  Additional CSH funding has been provided by a grant from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Hawkins County Schools hired a full time CSH Coordinator and Administrative Assistant in August, 2007.  The Coordinated School Health Initiative was then adopted district wide by all 17 schools in Hawkins County. 

     CSH is an effective system designed to connect health (physical, emotional and social) with education. This coordinated approach improves students' health and their capacity to learn through the support of families, communities and schools working together. The CSH approach consists of eight major components.  By definition, all Coordinated School Health components work together to improve the lives of students and their families.  Although these components are listed separately, it is their composite that allows CSH to have significant impact. The eight components include: health education, physical education/physical activity, health services, nutrition services, health promotion for staff, counseling and psychological services, healthy school environment and student/parent/community involvement.