Kern County Office of Education expands school naloxone training as student group urges Narcan in classrooms

Kern County Superintendent of Schools (KCSOS) staff told the Kern County Board of Education on March 11 that the county office provides naloxone (Narcan) training to volunteer staff, maintains centrally stored doses at program campuses and is installing overdose emergency cabinets next to AEDs.

The presentation, delivered by Michelle Taylor Langham, director at KCSOS, explained training, storage and partnerships and emphasized collaboration with Drug Free Kern, Kern Behavioral Health and Recovery Services, the county Public Health Department and the California Department of Education. Taylor Langham said KCSOS has used American Heart Association–certified instructors for opioid-antagonist response training for nonclinical staff and that “Narcan…is a medicine that rapidly reverses an opioid overdose.”

KCSOS staff framed their work as both an immediate response and part of community prevention and follow-up, saying annual training is offered and additional doses are centrally located on campuses. Using the Blanton Education Center as an example, Taylor Langham said that campus had 24 trained staff (including a school resource officer and probation staff) and roughly 40–50 Narcan doses on campus. She described new “overdose emergency cabinets” being installed next to AEDs so responders can grab both in a rapid emergency response.

Why it matters: Kern County and schools nationwide have seen surges in fentanyl-related overdoses. KCSOS presentation emphasized saving lives through prompt reversal while coupling supplies and training with referral and prevention services.

CARE student presentation and survey

Following the KCSOS briefing, a student cohort from Ridgeview High School working with Jukara Movement’s CARE program presented local outreach and data supporting broader classroom access to naloxone. Kuljit Kaur, CARE advisor for the nonprofit Jukara Movement, introduced eight Ridgeview students who described outreach events (World Health Day, Red Ribbon Week, a statewide youth summit) and a teacher survey the team conducted.

CARE reported 49 responses from 92 Ridgeview staff and said the most observed substances were marijuana (89% of respondents) and vaping products (75%). The students reported that a majority of surveyed teachers did not know where naloxone was located on campus and that roughly 70% of responding staff said they would get Narcan certification if training were provided. The students urged placing at least one Narcan kit in every classroom, citing Clovis Unified’s district-wide rollout as a precedent.

On safety, KCSOS trainers told the board that intranasal naloxone has no effect on a person who does not have opioids in their system and that “when in doubt, put it in the snout,” a phrase Taylor Langham said trainers use to encourage prompt use in suspected overdoses. Taylor Langham told trustees she was aware of “2 or 3” overdoses in programs she supports this year and that naloxone was effective in those incidents.

What trustees asked and next steps

Trustees asked how frequently training is offered and who may volunteer. Taylor Langham said staff training is offered at least annually and more often if volunteers sign up; community outreach for families happens roughly twice a year at some sites. She said any staff member may volunteer and that KCSOS solicits volunteers similarly to epinephrine training, with participation recorded and follow-up from site administrators.

Board members discussed legal protections and policy limits. Taylor Langham noted Good Samaritan protections apply when people provide emergency care, and she said practice and state education guidance limit KCSOS from mandating every classroom teacher be trained. Trustees suggested short demonstration videos and expanded outreach; KCSOS staff said they will continue partnerships and community education while installing emergency cabinets and expanding training.

Ending

KCSOS said it will continue annual trainings, install overdose cabinets next to AEDs across program sites and coordinate with community partners for prevention and follow-up services. CARE students said they will continue outreach and urged districts to consider classroom-level naloxone kits. The board did not vote on classroom placement at this meeting but asked staff to continue outreach and share materials and training availability with districts.