INFORMATIONAL

TO: Division Superintendents

FROM: Jo Lynne DeMary

Superintendent of Public Instruction

SUBJECT: School Health Incentive Fund Grant

The state budget enacted for the 2002-2004 biennium contains general fund appropriations to continue the school health incentive fund grants to school divisions. Grant funds total $1,734,390 in the fiscal year 2003 and $1,731,753 in the fiscal year 2004 as incentive payments for the provision of nursing services in public schools.

The state grant for this optional, incentive-based program is based on the state share of an additional 0.637 hours of nursing services per student for those students estimated to be eligible for the federal free lunch program. This grant is in addition to the 1.54 hours of school nurse services per student funded in Standards of Quality (SOQ) Basic Aid and is adjusted for the composite index. Attachment A includes the budget language from Item 147 C.13. of Chapter 899 (2002-2004 appropriation act) governing this grant.

Please note that in order to receive the full state grant, the school division must have expended the state and local funding for school nurses received through SOQ Basic Aid in fiscal year 2001, or must have provided the equivalent level of services through some other arrangement in fiscal year 2001 (e.g., through the local health department). If any school division does not meet this expenditure requirement based on Annual School Report data analyzed by the Department of Education (see Attachment B) or by submitting documentation showing the equivalent level of services provided, then the grant amount for fiscal year 2003 will be reduced by the same percentage of Standards of Quality funding that were not expended for nursing services in fiscal year 2001. Attachment B also provides the projected unprorated and prorated grant amounts for fiscal year 2003 for each school division.

School divisions are also required to submit a grant application to be reviewed by their School Health Advisory Board describing how the funds would be used and to certify that the division is utilizing its portion of Basic Aid funding for school nurses in fiscal year 2003 for its intended purpose. The intent of the General Assembly for the use of the grant funds is to increase the quality of nursing services provided directly to students.

The application forms for this grant are attached as Attachment C. An application must be submitted to the Department of Education. You will be notified via fax of your application approval and grant award. If you have any questions please contact Gwen Smith, (gsmith@mail.vak12ed.edu), school health specialist at 804-786-8671 or fax: 804-371-8796.

JLD/gps

Attachments

/administrators/superintendents_memos/2002/inf149a.pdf

/administrators/superintendents_memos/2002/inf149b.pdf

/administrators/superintendents_memos/2002/inf149c.pdf