Mamaroneck Schools Consider School-Based Health Center for Elementary Students

The following letter about the feasibility of a school-based health center in Mamaroneck was sent out to parents, educators and others from Board of Education President Ann LoBue and Schools Superintendent Robert Shaps:

Dear Community Members,

As a follow-up to our Board presentation last spring, a task force made up of administrators, School Board members, parent representatives, and a District nurse has been established to investigate whether a school-based health center (SBHC) might benefit our district. The Task Force, which is now up and running as a sub-committee of the District Wellness Committee, will conduct ongoing research through January to determine what health needs, if any, exist among our elementary school population and whether a school-based health center could meet those needs. The task force will present its findings to the Board at a public BOE meeting scheduled for Tuesday, January 20, 2014.

SBHCs provide comprehensive primary and preventive health care at no cost to children attending the school in which the center is located. All services are offered through a sponsoring health care agency. To participate, families must enroll their children in the SBHC.

Last spring, the Board was introduced to one specific center, Open Door, which has been operating successfully in the Port Chester Public Schools for the past 10 years. That discussion led to an interest on the Board’s part to further research whether a program such as this had anything to offer our district and what sort of variations exist between different school-based health center models.

The task force will examine District-provided health information and statistics (e.g., attendance data/loss of instruction time due to absences) to identify our students’ needs and better understand our elementary school families’ access to primary care. The District’s nursing staff will look at historical data on prevalent health issues such as asthma and diabetes, the percentage of students on Medicaid, and students’ immunization compliance records.

The task force has developed a series of guiding questions and considerations in preparation for the work being done. Among the considerations:
- Do we have a need for a school-based health center?
- If we do have a need for a school-based health center, how would the center address that need?
- Would a program housed at one elementary school be able to meet the needs of all of our district’s elementary age children?

If you have questions about the Task Force’s work, we encourage you to e-mail the Board at board@mamkschools.org. We look forward to hearing from you as this process of collecting information unfolds.

Sincerely,

Ann LoBue
Board of Education President

Dr. Robert I. Shaps
Superintendent of Schools