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Some Austin schools still won't have registered nurses with new healthcare deal next year

Despite backlash, Austin ISD has eliminated its own registered nurses from all their elementary campuses to save money.

AUSTIN -- If you have a student going to an Austin ISD school next year, they might be going to a campus without a school nurse, and this decision comes despite backlash from many people in the area.

For nearly 25 years, the Seton Healthcare Family has provided the school district's student medical services with nurses, clinical assistants and behavioral health services. When that partnership started, Austin ISD eliminated its own registered nurses from all their elementary campuses to save money. Monday night, at the Austin School Board meeting, the members approved a $7.1 million student health services plan that will still leave some campuses without a school nurse.

That means 75 registered nurses and 48 clinical assistants will still be part of the Seton contract in the 2018-2019 school year. That's different from the 74 registered nurses and 56 clinical assistants from the 2017-2018 school year.

According to Tracy Spinner, AISD'S director of health services, the nurses will go to the most populated schools.

"The size of the campus and medical need are the two biggest factors in how we assign nursing services," said Spinner.

Leading up to this vote, both parents and medical professionals have been outspoken about the need for more nurses. The district, though, has backed its reasoning due to the fact that our state doesn't require districts to staff campuses with registered nurses. When there isn't one, clinical assistance will be on staff, which -- while trained -- are not licensed, medical professionals.

Back in December, a district committee recommended that a licensed medical professional be placed at every campus. But Spinner said there just isn't enough money to do that.

Putting a nurse on every campus would have cost $2.5 million more than what the district had set aside, and while other surrounding districts, like Leander, Hays and Manor ISDs have nurses on every campus, Spinner said AISD returns more money to the state in recapture funds than any other district.

"There's no requirement in Texas for nurses so without some policy changes, without some school finance changes to give some relief to school districts like Austin ISD who expend an exorbitant amount of money sending money away," said Spinner.

The number of nurses actually had the potential to be even less than it will be this school year because back in September, Seton added more than 30 nurses to where it currently stands -- 75 nurses for the district's 130 campuses.

In addition to this nurse staffing, 16 of the 40 campus-based mental health centers with an on-site therapist will be cut. The district will still provide referral services for students but no on-site therapists.

Spinner said the process has been transparent and even included parents.

"We did really try. There were not any secrets ... We created a health services subcommittee that were chaired by two parents in Austin ISD," she said.

AISD's recapture payment to the state is $670 million.

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