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Q&A
Discussion on school health budget and funding allocation
1:17:19
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146 sec
Council Member Mercedes Narcisse inquires about the current budget for school health and how it's allocated. DOHMH officials, including Acting Commissioner Michelle Morse and CFO Aaron Anderson, provide information on the budget amount and explain that the funding is managed within the DOHMH agency budget rather than being allocated directly to schools.
- Current school health nursing budget is approximately $195 million
- Funding is managed within DOHMH agency budget, not directly allocated to schools
- DOHMH's role is to support nurses in schools, working closely with NYC Public Schools
Mercedes Narcisse
1:17:19
The fiscal twenty twenty six preliminary plan includes additional city funding of 60,100,000.0 in fiscal twenty twenty five only, including a funding swap of 36,100,000.0 from the state funding.
1:17:35
We're talking about our school and if I'm correct, about roughly about 60% of our kids on Medicaid now, so that's giving me more concern.
1:17:44
How much is the current budget for school health?
Michelle Morse
1:17:49
Thank you for that question, Chair Narcisse.
1:17:52
We work very closely with New York City Public Schools to make sure that the office of school health is a priority and that the children across the city who need either general health or behavioral health services have what they need.
1:18:07
And we also have worked very closely with New York City public schools, health and hospitals, and others to make sure that the number of school based mental health clinics actually increases.
1:18:16
In fact, the sixteenth clinic just opened last week.
Mercedes Narcisse
1:18:20
And I'm so grateful for that.
Michelle Morse
1:18:21
Which is very exciting.
1:18:23
In terms of our overall budget for school health, I will pass to my chief financial officer.
Aaron Anderson
1:18:29
Thanks for the question council member.
1:18:30
Yeah, our school health nursing budget is approximately $195,000,000 this year.
Mercedes Narcisse
1:18:36
Thank you.
1:18:37
What factors were considered or identified to determine this budget?
Michelle Morse
1:18:45
So we have a number of mandates for what kinds of work we can do and how we can partner with New York City public schools on ensuring that school health services and mental health services are fulfilled and that nurses are working in those school based health centers as well.
1:19:04
Excuse me, school based health clinics as well as school based health centers.
Mercedes Narcisse
1:19:08
Okay, will funding be allocated directly to schools?
Michelle Morse
1:19:14
Thank you for that question.
1:19:15
I'll pass to my CFO.
Aaron Anderson
1:19:17
Thanks for the question.
1:19:19
I think the school based question is really a question for New York City public schools.
1:19:22
I mean our role in jointly operating the school health program is really to support the nurses in the schools.
Mercedes Narcisse
1:19:28
Okay, so the money is not because the question is, is they gonna get the money, the funding from you?
Aaron Anderson
1:19:34
Yeah, the way the school health works today is really the funding lives in our agency budgets, so New York City Schools and the health department.
1:19:41
So
Mercedes Narcisse
1:19:42
please hold because I have a few questions.