(1) The State Surgeon General, or his or her designee, in cooperation with the Commissioner of Education, or his or her designee, shall publicize the availability of funds, targeting those school districts or schools which have a high incidence of medically underserved high-risk children, low birthweight babies, infant mortality, or teenage pregnancy.

(2) The State Surgeon General, or his or her designees, in cooperation with the Commissioner of Education, or his or her designees, in equal representation, shall form a joint committee to evaluate and select the school districts or schools to be funded.

(3) Any school district, school, or laboratory school which desires to receive state funding under the provisions of this section shall submit a proposal to the joint committee established in subsection (2). The proposal shall state the goals of the program, provide specific plans for reducing teenage pregnancy, and describe all of the health services to be available to students with funds provided pursuant to this section, including a combination of initiatives such as health education, counseling, extracurricular, and self-esteem components. School health services shall not promote elective termination of pregnancy as a part of counseling services. Only those program proposals which have been developed jointly by county health departments and local school districts or schools, and which have community and parental support, shall be eligible for funding. Funding shall be available specifically for implementation of one of the following programs:

(a) School health improvement pilot project.—The program shall include basic health care to an elementary school, middle school, and high school feeder system. Program services shall include, but not be limited to:

1. Planning, implementing, and evaluating school health services. Staffing shall include a full-time, trained school health aide in each elementary, middle, and high school; one full-time nurse to supervise the aides in the elementary and middle schools; and one full-time nurse in each high school.

2. Providing student health appraisals and identification of actual or potential health problems by screenings, nursing assessments, and record reviews.

3. Expanding screening activities.

4. Improving the student utilization of school health services.

5. Coordinating health services for students with parents or guardians and other agencies in the community.

(b) Student support services team program.—The program shall include a multidisciplinary team composed of a psychologist, social worker, and nurse whose responsibilities are to provide basic support services and to assist, in the school setting, children who exhibit mild to severely complex health, behavioral, or learning problems affecting their school performance. Support services shall include, but not be limited to: evaluation and treatment for minor illnesses and injuries, referral and followup for serious illnesses and emergencies, onsite care and consultation, referral to a physician, and followup care for pregnancy or chronic diseases and disorders as well as emotional or mental problems. Services also shall include referral care for drug and alcohol abuse and sexually transmitted diseases, sports and employment physicals, immunizations, and in addition, effective preventive services aimed at delaying early sexual involvement and aimed at pregnancy, acquired immune deficiency syndrome, sexually transmitted diseases, and destructive lifestyle conditions, such as alcohol and drug abuse. Moneys for this program shall be used to fund three teams, each consisting of one half-time psychologist, one full-time nurse, and one full-time social worker. Each team shall provide student support services to an elementary school, middle school, and high school that are a part of one feeder school system and shall coordinate all activities with the school administrator and certified school counselor at each school. A program that places all three teams in middle schools or high schools may also be proposed.

(c) Full service schools.—The full-service schools shall integrate the services of the Department of Health that are critical to the continuity-of-care process. The department shall provide services to students on the school grounds. Department personnel shall provide their specialized services as an extension of the educational environment. Such services may include nutritional services, medical services, aid to dependent children, parenting skills, counseling for abused children, and education for the students’ parents or guardians.

Funding may also be available for any other program that is comparable to a program described in this subsection but is designed to meet the particular needs of the community.

(4) In addition to the merits of a proposal, selection shall be based on those school districts or schools that most closely meet the following criteria:

(a) Have evidence of a comprehensive inservice staff development plan to ensure delivery of appropriate curriculum.

(b) Have evidence of a cooperative working relationship between the county health department and the school district or school and have community as well as parental support.

(c) Have a high percentage of subsidized school lunches.

(d) Have a high incidence of medically underserved high-risk children, low birthweight babies, infant mortality, or teenage pregnancy.

(5) Each school district or school program that is funded through the provisions of this section shall provide a mechanism through which a parent may, by written request, exempt a child from all or certain services provided by a school health services program described in subsection (3).

(6) The services provided by a comprehensive school health program must focus attention on promoting the health of students, reducing risk-taking behavior, and reducing teen pregnancy. Services provided under this section are in addition to the services provided under s. 381.0056 and are intended to supplement, rather than supplant, those services.

History.—s. 6, ch. 90-358; s. 21, ch. 95-146; s. 813, ch. 95-148; s. 102, ch. 97-101; s. 49, ch. 97-237; s. 7, ch. 2000-242; s. 17, ch. 2008-6; s. 28, ch. 2012-184; s. 2, ch. 2013-89.

Note.—Former s. 402.321.