Policy committee adds contract language to school‑based health services policy and forwards packet to board

The Big Spring School District policy committee on Oct. 20 reviewed edits to the school‑based health center (SBHC) policy and agreed to send the revised packet to the solicitor and full board for approval. Committee members said the intent of the change is to make explicit that external behavioral‑health providers in schools must operate under a board‑approved contract before offering services.

Committee discussion focused on the policy's wording for instructional access and the role of contracted providers. Members asked offices to add the phrase "with board approved contract in effect" after the phrase "rotational basis" so that vendors would not be permitted to provide services absent a current contract. A separate motion to remove "Psychological Services LSC" from the "such as" list was also raised and recorded for the draft sent to the board.

Members clarified that the policy's definition of "instructional access" is a definitional statement that does not, by itself, prohibit mental‑health supports during the school day; the document also requires parental notification and coordination with principals and teachers to minimize academic disruption. The committee directed staff to reconcile consent language across sections before the board review.

The committee voted to forward the packet, including the SBHC edits, to the solicitor for review and to the full board for action at a future meeting.