The Winter Park Health Foundation (WPHF) and the Health Central Foundation will continue to provide funding for health care programs at several schools in the upcoming school year.
At the Orange County School Board meeting on Tuesday night, an agreement was reached between the WPHF and OCPS to provide $80,000 and OCPS will provide about $300,000 to help pay for nurses and health care staff in particular schools. The schools included in the consortium are: Aloma, Audubon, Brookshire, Cheney, Hungerford, Lake Sybelia, and Lakemont elementary schools. Glenridge and Maitland middle schools and the Winter Park High main campus and 9th-Grade Center.
For more than a decade, the Winter Park Health Foundation (WPHF) has contributed approximately $15 million in support of the Winter Park Consortium schools.
Meanwhile, Health Central Foundation (HCF) will contribute to funding school nurses through a grant of $62,000 and the school district will pay $269,000.
The schools that will continue to receive support through the HCF grant are: Clarcona, Lake Whitney, Maxey, Ocoee, Spring Lake, Thornebrooke, Tildenville, West Oaks, Whispering Oaks, and Windermere elementary schools and Windy Ridge School (K-8).
Part of the foundation’s assistance will be provided to schools to upgrade their district-funded school health assistant to a licensed practical nurse (LPN) or registered nurse (RN).
The nurses will continue to work in school clinics, present classroom lectures on health-related subjects, work with community agencies and private providers, and serve as liaisons between students, parents, and teachers.
According to a statement from school board, the school nurse program has resulted in a significant reduction in absenteeism and has minimized barriers to student learning and achievement.
