Lindbergh updates board on new in-house CNA program funded by DESE grant
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Summary
Teachers, students and administrators described Lindbergh’s new Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) program, its DESE limited-access grant funding, state CTE certification and planned clinical partnerships for student internships.
Lindbergh Schools staff and CNA students updated the board on a newly launched Certified Nursing Assistant program created with state grant support and local partnerships.
District officials said the program began after the district received a limited-access grant from the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) to remove barriers for students who previously lacked access to a nursing program through South Tech. Staff said the district received $400,000 in grant funds and has been tracking expenses for reimbursement under the grant’s reporting process.
Kelly Ferris, the CNA instructor, described hands-on lab activities students have practiced: transfers, use of electric Hoyer lifts, perineal and catheter care, vital-signs assessment, infection control, end-of-life care and activities of daily living. Ferris said students also practice soft skills—empathy, communication and teamwork—and are being prepared for clinical hours through partnerships with local long-term care providers.
District staff said the CNA course is certified through Missouri’s Career and Technical Education (CTE) program, which should make the pathway eligible for future state support beyond the initial grant. The district also tied the CNA instruction to HOSA (Health Occupations Students of America) and to an internship model that places students for clinical hours at facilities such as Friendship Village and Bethesda.
Students who spoke described hands-on learning and said staying on the Lindbergh campus was an important draw compared with attending South Tech. One student said the program provided “a good experience and idea of what [nursing] would be like,” while another described personal motivation from childhood hospital experiences.
Board members and administrators discussed capacity: staff said the in-house cohort filled to capacity quickly (reported roughly 14–15 students) and that next year students will attend clinical sites approximately two days per week with lab days at school.
Speakers emphasized that the grant enabled quick startup and that district officials are tracking receipts and purchase orders for DESE reimbursement as required by the grant’s procedures.