GOVERNMENT RELATIONS REPORT
2006
After nineteen years of heard work and advocacy, we finally have, at least temporarily, improved the West Virginia ratio of
school nurses to students. As often happens when dealing with the WV Legislature, we ended up compromising, but the important
fact is that next year all coutnies that do not currently have a 1:1500 ratio for certified school nurses to students will receive
money to hire those nurses. That funding can only be used to hire school nurses to improve the ratio. All the students in
West Virginia should now have school nurse services at least to that improved ratio. This is truly a victory for us, although
a modified one.
We cannot rest here, however. The earlier version of this bill would have provided all couties with funding to help keep that ratio
permanent. It also would have improved the mandate in the first part of the Code. The compromise thr;ust upon us by the House
Educaiton Sub Committee was not as fair or as comprehensive. It does clearly state, however, that beginning the first day of
July 2006, all counties who have not currently come up to a 1:1500 ratio will receive funding to reach that level. This will
put all counties at that minimum standard. We must continue working to further improve our ratio and to insure fair funding
for all counties. Counties with more than 1500 students but less than 2250, and counties that have fewer students but large
geographic areas, are still with only one nurse and this is clearly not safe or adequate staffing.
We are in an election year and this is a perfect time to talk to your Senators and Delegates. Thank them for their support but
let them know that this is only the beginning. We do need much more. If you are in one of the counties that will gain school
nurses, be sure to let your legislators know that and express your gratitude. Tell them how this will benefit the children in
their districts, then remind them that the funding in the bill is only for one year and must be made permanent. If you are in one
of the counties that already uses local funding to reach this ratio, make sure your legislator is aware that your district
didn't receive any funding from this amended bill. Senators need to know that their more generous version didn't pass, and
Delegates should be aware that the version the House passed wasn't fair to all counties. The House Education Committee has promised
us that they will student the funding issues to make this permanent. We need to hold them to that promise.
A section of this bill gives $1 million to the WV Department of Education for additional school health services for those
students with serious and complex health care needs. The WVDE is mandated to develop a plan to distribute this funding to be
used for the care of these students, over and above the ratio of one certified school nurse for every 1500 students.
The passage of Senate Bill 53,though amended, was a victory for us and for the children of West Virginia. Andy, Angela and I want to thank you for all of your help.
Without your calls, letters and e-mails to legislators, we would not have gotten anything. You all were awesome! The whole
legislature was talking about all of the calls they received about school nurses. We need to keep that momentum going through
next year. If you have any questions, give us a call.
House Bill 2548, known as the Diabetes Care Bill, also passed the Legislature this session. This bill was a watered down
version of the bill introduced last year. It basically requires that school nurses work with parents, students and health care
providers to develop comprehensive health care plans for students with diabetes. Of course, this is what school nurses have
been doing for years and will continue to do. The bill also requires that all school staff be educated about Diabetes. This
is going to require some work and planning on both the state and local levels. In the long run, it should help us to keep our
students healthy and safe. This bill once aagain spotlights the importance of having school nurses to deal with the complex
health conditions of our students.
On the last day of the session, while Andy Gallagher, our able lobbyist, was feverishly working to insure the passage of
Senate Bill 53, a bill allowing school counselors and school speech pathologists with national ceretification to get a $2,500
pay raise was quietly amended into Senate Bill 783, which dealt with teacher certification. We had been assured by several
legislators that if the bill to add these professionals to the Code began to move we would be amended into it. Unfortunately,
this caught everyone by surprise and the bill had already passed when we realized it had been amended to include these two
groups of professionals. We will work to get school nurses amended in next session. When you talk to your legislators, mention
this also. We are equal members of the professional education team and should be treated as such.
WVASN President, Kathy Verzich, has written to the State School Superintendent, Dr. Payne, to ask that school nurses be included
in the policy that is developed to implement this law. We currently have ten West Virginia school nurses who have accomplished
the professional goal of gbecoming national certified. It demonstrates a high level of professionalism and should be rewarded.
