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Board committee recommends vendor‑provided one‑on‑one nursing services, sends contract review to full board
Summary
Committee heard proposals to place vendor nurses in district schools for medically complex students; presenters said vendors would bill Medicaid, pay nurses directly, and the district typically receives an ~85% reimbursement after settlement; the committee recommended moving the item to the full board pending contract review.
Administrators and vendor representatives outlined plans to provide extended one‑on‑one nursing services for medically complex students through vendor contracts, saying Medicaid billing would reimburse most costs but reimbursement arrives after cost‑settlement timelines.
Dr. Sylvia Brown and Danielle Romero described vendor operations and said the vendors would supply nurses (often the same nurse who cares for the child at home), oversee background checks and training, and bill the school board for hours worked during the school day. Romero said, “We pay the nurses...we bill the school board just like any other vendor,” explaining that the vendor covers hiring, credentialing and continuing education.
Presenters said the district could bill Medicaid for related services and that reimbursements to the district typically amount to about 85% of costs after a cost‑settlement process that can take 12–18 months. Trustees pressed for clarity on which students would be eligible; presenters said approximately three to four children in the parish currently would qualify based on IEP determinations, and several trustees asked administration and attorneys to review a vendor sample contract and return with negotiated terms.
After discussion the committee recommended moving the vendor contract and related materials to the full board for approval, with language noting final approval would be pending completion of attorney review and a finalized contract. One trustee asked that the full board receive the proposed contract and related billing details prior to its vote.
