District secures $128,000 rural nurse retention grant to support campus health services

The Yuma Union High School District announced it received a rural school nurse retention grant through the Arizona Department of Education that will provide supplies, professional development and one‑time stipends to district nurses.

“Nurses are the unsung heroes of our campus and safety,” said Henry Gonzales, the district’s director of health and safety. Gonzales said the grant will supply $5,000 per campus for medical and health‑office supplies, fund professional development opportunities—such as immunization and Arizona School Nurse Association conferences—and include one‑time salary stipends for nurses. Gonzales said the district’s total award is $128,000.

Gonzales told the board the grant responds to increased student health needs: one large campus recorded more than 3,300 health‑office visits since the start of the school year, and smaller campuses see 40–60 visits a day.

Gonzales thanked Associate Superintendent Rob Jankowski and Diana Garcia, executive director of federal programs, for their work on the application. Board members praised the grant, noting it will directly support nurses on campus.