A comprehensive school health program is an integrated set of planned, sequential, school-affiliated strategies, activities, and services designed to promote the optimal physical, emotional, social, and educational development of students. The program involves and is supportive of families and is determined by the local community based on community needs, resources, standards, and requirements. It is coordinated by a multidisciplinary team and accountable to the community for program quality and effectiveness.

A successful school health program not only strives to prevent illness but also provides the opportunity for students to enhance their ability to learn by promoting physical and mental health and social well-being. While there is no universally accepted model for school health programs, the eight-component model is usually used by IHS and is enhanced by integration and overlap between the components to meet requirements of specific areas. Modifications are also made to cater to the special socio-economic and cultural factors.

In recent years, in US & Europe additional models, definitions, and descriptions of school health programs have emerged that build on previous models, including expanded school health services that provide a wide range of health access modalities for students to receive increased and improved access to care that they are not receiving elsewhere. A program with expanded health services may provide, for example, on-site immunizations, full medical histories and physical examinations, or on-site counseling for children with special mental or physical health needs.