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Board hears school safety briefing on overdoses; nurses, SROs urged to watch for "tranq" and Narcan replacement procedures
Summary
State education and health staff briefed the board on recent overdose incidents and warned that xylazine (referred to in discussion as "tranq") may not be reversed by naloxone; the department said it maintains a standing order to supply naloxone to schools and will continue to alert nurses, counselors and SROs about emerging drug threats.
State education officials, lead nurses and board members discussed recent student overdose responses and growing concern about an animal tranquilizer — commonly called "tranq" in the discussion and widely known in clinical literature as xylazine — that is being detected in parts of the country and can complicate overdose response.
Board lead nurse Miss Marshall told the board the department has distributed naloxone (Narcan) to schools through partnerships with public health and local law enforcement and that donated higher‑strength doses (8 mg) have been supplied to many schools. "We have a standing order to stock Narcan in every school," she said, and staff described protocols for replacing doses after use.
At the same time, Marshall and other board members warned that Narcan reverses opioid overdoses but does not reverse the effects of xylazine; Marshall said tranq overdoses are not reversed by naloxone and that xylazine can cause prolonged sedation and tissue damage. "Narcan doesn't have — tranq overdose is not undone by the usage of Narcan," she told the board. She described xylazine’s clinical risks including deep sedation and tissue injury when injected.
Board reaction and next steps
Board members asked public health and school nurses to be vigilant for new drug trends and to communicate quickly to counselors, SROs and school nurses about emergent street names and symptoms. Officials said they already use an "unusual occurrence" reporting form and receive data from school nurses and local law enforcement to track incidents involving naloxone use and overdose responses.
Miss Marshall described the department’s response protocol: when a student does not respond to naloxone and remains sedated, staff treat as a complex overdose, call 911 and escalate clinical care; the department also conducts follow‑up to replace used naloxone doses and to coordinate with local health partners.
Why it matters
Board members said these are community problems that enter schools and emphasized awareness and partnerships. The department said it will continue early‑warning communications to school nurses, SROs and counselors about emerging substances and their clinical presentation, and will continue to coordinate Narcan distribution and replenishment for schools that lack funding to procure doses.
Ending
Board members commended nurses and local partners for rapid response to overdoses and asked the department to maintain and expand its communications about emerging substances and response protocols.
