Brockton board approves Fort Peck Tribal Diabetes Program to conduct annual student screenings starting fall 2025

The Brockton School Board voted Jan. 21 to allow the Fort Peck Tribal Diabetes Program to distribute consent forms and conduct annual student health screenings in district schools beginning in Fall 2025. Board members approved the request after representatives from the program described the process and data flow.

Sidney Gourneau and Mary Follett of the Fort Peck Tribal Diabetes Program were present to discuss the proposal and told the board that ‘‘all of the data is sent to Rocky Mountain Tribal Leaders, who will provide funding to put towards our youth.’’ The program said consent would be collected at the start of each school year and would remain valid for one year; participation would be voluntary and require parental consent.

Superintendent Josh Patterson introduced the request to the trustees, and Trustee Rae Jean Belgarde made the motion to approve the program’s distribution of consent forms and access to the school system; Trustee Olivia Johnson seconded. The motion carried, recorded as four for, none opposed.

Board members did not specify a detailed schedule for screenings or the exact data elements to be collected during the meeting. The board’s approval permits the program to proceed with collecting consent forms and scheduling screenings for the 2025–26 school year; any additional operational details, including student-level protections and the scope of data sharing with Rocky Mountain Tribal Leaders, were not specified in the meeting minutes.

The board’s action allows the district to partner with a tribal health program to provide screenings to students but does not change existing district policies on student privacy or medical consent. The board did not take further formal action on data-use agreements or memoranda of understanding at the meeting.