Hall schools launching child obesity initiative

GAINESVILLE - The Hall County School System is launching a private/public partnership to combat child obesity, with school officials calling it the "pilot among pilot" programs.

Spokesman Gordon Higgins said the system's nursing and nutrition directors will play major roles in implementing the program with Minnesota-based United Health Care.

Higgins said Friendship Elementary School will be the system's pilot school this spring. The program begins system-wide next fall for grades K-8.

Hall is one of only six systems nationwide to implement the initiative.