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Committee reviews $1.376 million DPH grant to fund 11 school-based health centers and partner agreements
Summary
The committee heard presentation of a Department of Public Health year-five grant of about $1.375 million to support 11 school-based health center sites operated through agreements with Cornell Scott, Fair Haven Community Health Center and Yale New Haven Hospital; the committee discussed utilization and expansion plans.
On June 15 the Finance and Operations Committee reviewed a Department of Public Health year-five grant to support 11 school-based health centers across the district.
Miss Peters explained the grant is a DPH award for year five of a multi-year arrangement and noted funding includes cost-of-living adjustments. The amount presented in the meeting materials and verbal presentation was $1,375,737. She said Cornell Scott Hill Health Center, Fair Haven Community Health Center and Yale New Haven Hospital will operate the sites under district agreements; Clifford Beardsford (named in historical context) bowed out this year for financial reasons.
Peters described partner contract amounts included in the packet: Cornell Scott's award for the coming period was presented at roughly $410,000 to run multiple sites (medical, mental-health and office manager support), and Fair Haven's contract was shown at $280,843 and includes dental services for students. The grant covers those partner costs for the 11 funded sites.
Committee members asked about utilization rates. Peters said utilization is benchmarked against school size and enrollment, and that overall utilization among funded sites averages roughly 40% (unduplicated users); enrollment drives utilization because students must be formally enrolled to be served. She added that some sites (those in longer-established schools) are more fully utilized and that the district's plan includes opening school-based clinics two weeks before school starts to help families complete required medical forms and improve compliance.
Members also asked whether the Department of Public Health intends to continue funding the program beyond year five. Peters said she is "99.9%" confident DPH will continue multi-year block grants for school-based health centers, noting long-standing state support dating back decades.
Ending: The committee advanced the grant items as part of the consent package that will be forwarded to the full board for approval; staff will continue enrollment and outreach efforts to increase utilization at newer sites.
