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CES95 staff report health partnerships reached 600+ students amid Community Schools funding cut
Summary
Assistant Superintendent Brooke Kensler told the board that dental and on-site clinic partnerships have provided preventative and restorative care to more than 600 students this year, while federal Community Schools funding was cut in December and short-term allowances are currently supporting services.
Assistant Superintendent of Student Services Brooke Kensler told the board the district’s school-based health partnerships have reached “over 600 students” with preventive dental exams and primary-care connections this school year.
Kensler said Dental Safari provided preventive services to 348 students (with 31 receiving follow-up treatment), the SIU Dental Program provided exams and cleanings for 124 students with 74 additional appointments scheduled, and Shawnee Dental hosted targeted “Blitz Days” serving 63 students. “In total, over 600 students have received dental exams and preventive care this year,” Kensler said, adding that on-site medical services at the middle and high school through Shawnee Health’s Terrier Care have grown (the mobile clinic served 71 CMS students last year and ‘has already served 76 students’ this year).
Kensler also informed the board that the district was notified in December by ActNow that federal Community Schools funding had been cut effective at the end of the calendar year, triggering ongoing negotiations and legal action. “We continue to receive regular updates, and funding has been extended through short-term daily or monthly allowances to support the staff and locations while long-term decisions are pending,” she said.
Kensler emphasized benefits beyond immediate clinical care: the partnerships reduce barriers for families, limit instructional time lost to appointments and have helped some students establish regular primary-care relationships for conditions such as asthma. She thanked community partners and district staff for collaboration and said the district will begin proactive communications about school physicals and immunization compliance for students advancing to sixth grade.
The board did not take a formal vote on the funding status; Kensler’s report was informational and the district said services continue while longer-term funding is resolved.
