All Adair County Schools health services will be completely paid for by their provider, Cumberland Family Medical, as of Jan 1.
Director of the Healthy Kids Clinic program Ibby Hopper spoke to the Adair County School Board at Thursday night’s meeting.
“Our goal has always been that we pay 100 percent of all school health services,” said Hopper. “Because of the success and your support, as of Jan. 1, we’re going to pay 100 percent of all school health services. You all won’t be out any more money. We appreciate everything you all have done and it’s because of the support from you all.”
The Healthy Kids Clinic has been active in Adair County Schools since 2014 and provides multiple services to all four schools – including primary care, oral health, mental health and pediatrics – and serves both students and faculty.
The health services provided to students and staff will not be changed in any way because of the new deal.
It has always been a split payment from the district and Cumberland Family Medical, and the district has paid 30 percent of the costs for the past two years.
Superintendent Pam Stephens said they would save more than $40,000 annually because of the change.
Hopper bragged on the experience of working with Adair County.
“It’s been a great partnership for the last five years,” said Hopper. “I tell Dr. Stephens every time I come that if we could get things to work everywhere like it does in Adair County, it’d make things a whole lot easier for us.”
The board approved the purchase of two Thomas brand school buses due to the fact that the warranty work for the buses can be done at Whayne Supply. Each individual bus costs $93,191 plus $600 to install radios.
Stephens invited the media and community members to all future focus meetings that take place between all school administrators and board staff to discuss the latest information about each school.
The next meeting is Nov. 20 with Adair County Primary meeting at 9 a.m., Adair County Elementary at 10 a.m., Adair County Middle at noon and Adair County High School at 1 p.m.
Next month’s meeting will consist of Stephens requesting the board to create a position for an athletic trainer and teacher for the district.
The trainer will teach an athletic training course at ACHS and will be an athletic trainer for Adair County schools, but the exact schedule for the position isn’t finalized yet.
T.J. Health Columbia and ACHS staff assisted the district in getting the hire through a workforce development grant.
They anticipate the new hire will start on the return from Christmas break on Jan. 6, but athletic training classes won’t be available until August of 2020.
“This is an area that is really blossoming and our students will have the opportunity to learn about this field first hand,” said Stephens.
Principal Steve Burton presented sixth grade student Kinzlee Akin with an academic rising star award for achieving a perfect score on her fifth grade KPREP mathematics test. Academic Dean Phyllis Curry says that accomplishment has never happened in her 16 years with the district.
By Anna Buckman
anna@adairvoice.com
