The Ferguson-Florissant School District Board of Education on Tuesday waived first reading and adopted an update to policy JHC, student health services and requirements, to permit trained medical personnel other than registered nurses to perform tube feedings in schools when supervised and approved by the district nursing administrator.

Administration explained the change responds to a shortage of registered nurses relative to student medical needs. The policy change was vetted by the district nursing administrator, Dr. Stephanie Tate Patterson, legal counsel and attorneys at the Missouri School Boards Association. Administration said personnel performing tube feedings will receive required training and must be signed off by the nursing administrator before providing care; registered nurses will continue to oversee clinical quality, documentation and hygiene checks.

Board members asked who will provide training and whether registered nurses will perform follow-up checks. The administration replied that the nursing administrator will approve training and that registered nurses will continue quality assurance work. One board member asked about liability; administration said the same standards apply when trained personnel perform services under registered-nurse supervision and cited DESE's school health manual guidance.

The board also heard a first reading of policy BDDH on public participation at board meetings and discussed adding a 30-minute public comment limit for in-person speakers and clarifying how the board should handle vendor solicitations in public comments. Members asked legal counsel to review appropriate language to prevent public comment from being used for vendor solicitation while preserving public access.

Finally, administration presented seven additional policy updates for second reading and board action that reflect recent legislative changes (including House Bill 199, Senate Bills 63 and 68). The board approved those policy updates as presented. The meeting record shows the board approved the JHC change and the set of legislatively required policy updates; the public-participation policy was on first read with planned revisions and legal review, not yet adopted.