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Prosser students urge districtwide CPR certification for school staff
Summary
Two Prosser High School HOSA students presented survey findings showing 43% of staff lack CPR certification and proposed using a student-run 'Heart Club' with scholarships to provide no-cost certification for staff.
Two Prosser High School students presented a HOSA community-awareness project to the Prosser School District board recommending districtwide CPR certification for educators.
"Our main proposal is to create an extension of our existing HOSA chapter called Heart Club," said Payton, a student presenter. Payton told the board the students surveyed staff before winter break and "discovered that 43% of staff members are not CPR certified, and 38% of those individuals are willing to become certified." The students proposed partnering with the American Heart Association and applying for a Heart Club scholarship to cover more than half of certification costs.
The students said a local trainer, Columbia Safety, offered a 50% reduced rate and could train groups up to 60, and they outlined fundraisers (including a 5K fun run) and student-sponsor structures to make certification free for staff. "Our goal is to educate and certify school staff at no cost to them," Payton said.
Board members and attendees responded positively; one board member asked clarifying questions about recertification cycles and thanked the students for bringing the issue forward. The board indicated the item would likely come back to the board for formal action once the students and staff work out logistics and requests for board approval.
The presentation focused on immediate safety benefits (students cited studies that CPR by a trained person can raise survival by up to 70%) and local needs, including increased community drug-related emergencies the students said have risen about 15% annually since 2020. The students said most teachers rated their confidence in handling a medical emergency at 7 out of 10 or lower.
Next steps described by the students included coordinating with ASB and district staff to develop the Heart Club, pursue scholarship funding, and schedule group training sessions.
