After discussion last Monday night, the board of education is expected to approve adding Wood, Williams, and Sudlow to the current partnership between Smart Junior High and Community Health Care.
The district's Head Nurse, Gina Ekstrom, says the agency received a grant to improve access for children. So last year it provided vaccinations at the school and virtual medical appointments so the kids would miss only a few minutes of class, instead of a half-day or full-day of school.
"Parents really appreciated that having this partnership with community health allowed them to get the health care their children needed, maybe without them having to take a day off from work. And it was great because Community Health Care came to them - we met the students where they were."
Community Health Care plans to add mental health services at Smart Junior High this fall, to address a long-term problem made worse by COVID.
"I think that on top of the normal mental struggles that students have, related to things like friends, and stress from school, and family home life - all of those things are still here and now on top of that we went and removed you from all of your support early and sent you home."
Ekstrom says vaccinations and virtual medical appointments will be available this fall at Wood, Williams, and Sudlow junior highs, with mental health services added next year.
Thanks to the grant, there's no cost to the Davenport School District.
