Five of the 10 public schools in Sandy Springs made the 2026 America's Healthiest Schools list for school meals. All five won in the nutrition and food access category.

Five Sandy Springs public schools are on the 2026 list of America’s Healthiest Schools. That is half of the 10 Fulton County public schools inside the city.

All five were honored for school meals. The national nonprofit behind the award, the Alliance for a Healthier Generation, recognized them in its Nutrition and Food Access category. The schools are listed on the Alliance’s 2026 honoree list:

How Fulton County Schools did

Fulton County Schools had 44 schools on the list, the district said in a news post. Every one was recognized in the same nutrition category.

The Alliance’s list has 64 Georgia schools in all, so Fulton County Schools accounts for 44 of them. The next highest Georgia district on the list is the Cobb County School District, with 11. The other 39 Fulton honorees are elsewhere in the district, from Roswell and Alpharetta in the north to College Park, East Point and Fairburn in the south.

Nationally, the Alliance announced the 2026 list Aug. 25. It named 1,376 schools in 35 states and Washington, D.C. That is 256 more than the year before, the Alliance said. Of those, 200 schools were named All-Stars for meeting the criteria in all nine of its topic areas. No Fulton school was among them.

What the nutrition award measures

The Alliance says the Nutrition and Food Access category recognizes school teams that:

  • work to get as many students as possible eating school meals
  • work with teachers on nutrition education
  • partner with community groups to help families get enough healthy food

“This award represents our team’s unwavering commitment to student wellness,” said Alyssia Wright, the district’s executive director of school nutrition. “We believe healthy meals play a critical role in academic achievement.”

The district said its nutrition team prepares many items in house, including fresh vegetables, salads, fruit and scratch-made recipes. Some items are heat-and-serve. The district said it buys some fruits, vegetables and meats from local and regional suppliers.

More than 160 students from across the district taste and vote on new recipes each year in its Student Choice Food Challenge, the district said. Breakfast and lunch items have been added to menus as a result.

What it means for you

  • Vegetarian meals: the district says it offers a vegetarian option at breakfast and lunch every day.
  • Food allergies: students with a documented food allergy or medical diet can get meal accommodations. The district says the process involves parents, the student’s health care provider and school staff.
  • Which school is yours: our guide to Sandy Springs public schools lists all 10 schools in the city, their attendance zones and which schools feed which.

Frequently asked questions

Which Sandy Springs schools are America’s Healthiest Schools for 2026?

Dunwoody Springs Elementary, Ison Springs Elementary, Lake Forest Elementary, Sandy Springs Middle (listed as Sandy Springs Charter Middle School) and North Springs High. All five were recognized in the Nutrition and Food Access category.

Who runs the America’s Healthiest Schools award?

The Alliance for a Healthier Generation, a national nonprofit. Its 2026 list, released Aug. 25, 2026, names 1,376 schools in 35 states and Washington, D.C.