SFUSD adopts resolution to expand LEA Medi‑Cal billing to fund nurses, social workers and peer counseling

The Board of Education unanimously adopted a resolution directing district staff to develop and present by June 2021 a plan to expand the LEA Medi‑Cal Billing Option. Commissioner Maliga framed the resolution as a way to secure federal matching dollars for school-based health and mental-health services and to fund long-standing priorities: full‑time nurses and social workers, peer-counseling expansion, and health-care career pathways tied to local community colleges.

The resolution directs staff to estimate administrative costs and revenue potential, to work with labor partners, and to ensure that new Medi‑Cal revenue will not supplant existing wellness funding. It recommends the district aim to fund (starting fiscal year 2022–23) expanded peer counseling in high schools and pursue pathways to increase the local health workforce.

Public commenters—including members of the Community Advisory Committee for Special Education, parents of children with IEPs, and special-education staff—praised the resolution’s ambition but urged rapid referral linkages and cautioned that implementation must avoid adding heavy administrative burden at school sites. Deputy Superintendent and health-program leads told the board they will explore models that centralize billing functions to avoid site-level overload and that partnerships with City College and public agencies will be critical to build capacity.

Commissioners asked staff to present a budget impact analysis and an implementation plan that safeguards existing wellness services while making Medi‑Cal billing a sustainable revenue source for student health supports. The motion passed 7–0.