During Tuesday’s meeting, the board heard a presentation by Lauri Johnson and Samantha Hoffman, who spoke on behalf of the school nurses. The two said they have been working closely with Dr. Carrie Dillard, medical director for the schools, on protocols that would allow them to treat students who are experiencing more than a headache or other minor ailments with advance care.
“We are passionate about our work,” Johnson said. “Sometimes we are the first and only health care providers that some children see. With the new protocols, it will give us authority to take care of the students.”
Protocols are standing orders from a medical director, which is usually a physician, to implement steps when a doctor is not immediately available.
Johnson said the new protocols were developed with the best interest of the children.
“We are very busy,” she said. “We have a number of children in the school system that have chronic health problems.”
The major health problem the nurses see is diabetes, and they voiced concern about dealing with recent situations at Beale Elementary School. Hoffman stated that during recent shelters-in-place issued in the Gallipolis Ferry area, there were no nurses at the school because one nurse serves at least two or three schools and the nurse on duty was at Ashton Elementary at the time.
“In an ideal world, there would be a nurse in every school, but this is not an ideal world,” Johnson said.
The nurses, with the aid of Ruth Caplinger, nurse coordinator, asked board members to consider posting positions as an LPN/aide position if an aide transfers to another position or leaves the school system. To also help with emergency situations, the nurses have become first aid/CPR instructors and would like to have classes for the staff to have them certified in basic first aid and cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR).
They said with members of the staff or even volunteers that are trained in first aid/CPR that they can assist with children as well as adults in giving aid until a unit with emergency medical services or other advance care providers arrive.
After hearing a report from the county health services from Dillard and the school nurses, board members approved the new protocols.
In other business, board members:
• Discussed a policy for early notification of retirement for administrative and service personnel. The policy states that administrative or service personnel who are planning to retire at the end of the current contract year can qualify for a $500 bonus if they notify the personnel department on or before Feb. 1 if funding is available.
The policy previously was approved in June 2007, and the board agreed to enforce it.
• Heard a report from Bill Hoover of Red Hawk Auctioneering Services, who told the board that he and Superintendent Dr. Larry Parsons toured the former Point Pleasant Middle School and came up with some scenarios for selling the property.
• Received a draft report of the Office of Educational Performance Audits for Point Pleasant Primary School from Steven Kingery, who said the audit was performed Dec. 11 and that some improvements were recommended. He and a committee comprised of the school’s principal, teachers, Gary Mitchell and Don Bower, assistant superintendent, will meet to have a plan ready to submit to the state board of education within 30 days.
• Approved a special meeting with the legislature representatives at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 29 in the Lillian and Paul Wedge Auditorium at Point Pleasant Junior Senior High School.
• Met in executive session for 60 minutes.
• Adjourned at 9:55 p.m.
The next meeting will be 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 27.
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