Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the School Health topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
District 21 tells Wheeling board its school-based health center has seen thousands of visits, seeks fundraising support
Summary
District 21 officials presented a school‑based health center that opened May 2024, said it provides free medical and mental‑health services to students and staff, reported roughly 700 summer visits and nearly 4,000 total visits to date, and asked the board and community to help with ongoing fundraising.
Community Consolidated School District 21 officials told the Wheeling Village Board on March 16 that the district’s school‑based health center, which opened May 1, 2024, is providing on‑site medical and mental‑health care for staff and students and requires ongoing fundraising to stay fully operational.
"We want to make sure that they are social and emotionally supported, that their health is supported," Dr. Michael Connelly, superintendent of Community Consolidated School District 21, said, describing the center’s range of services. He said the center has four exam rooms, two treatment/therapy rooms, a consultation room, a lab and transportation for students who need help getting to appointments.
Cassandra Young, director of communications and community engagement for District 21, said the center staffs clinicians from Advocate Health Group including a medical doctor, a nurse practitioner and a clinical therapist and offers same‑day walk‑ins, immunizations, sports and school physicals, lab testing (flu, COVID, RSV, strep, TB, UTI) and counseling. Young said the center does not bill insurance and provides translation services and school‑coordinated transportation.
Young and Lewis Robertson, executive director of human resources, described utilization figures presented to the board: about 700 visits during the initial summer and what the presenters said is now close to 4,000 total visits since opening, including more than 1,500 immunizations last year. "We opened up in May of 2024 and over the course of the summer saw 700 students," Connelly said; Young added the presenters are conducting ongoing analysis of month‑to‑month trends and attendance impacts.
The presenters also explained how the center is funded: they said the initial build‑out received a $1 million congressional omnibus grant procured with help from Congressman Brad Snyder and that the district received a $1 million anonymous donation currently used to cover operating costs. The presenters said the annual operating need is about $425,000–$475,000 for supplies, medications and staff salaries and that those grant and philanthropic dollars are declining, which prompted the district’s request for community fundraising support.
District 21 asked for help publicizing a June 17 fundraising golf outing at Chvy Chase Country Club (flyers and donation forms were offered at the meeting) and for corporate sponsorships and raffle prizes. When Trustee Papantos asked whether other local districts have similar centers, presenters said some high schools such as Glenbrook offer services but District 21 may be among the few K–8 centers in Illinois. Trustee Vogle asked whether the center had reduced absenteeism; presenters said preliminary data show declines and that further analysis is underway.
The board received the presentation and accepted the materials the district left for distribution, with no formal board action requested or taken on funding at the meeting.
