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Q&A
Council Member Narcisse questions DOE on school infrastructure and health centers
2:10:48
·
5 min
Council Member Mercedes Narcisse engages in a Q&A session with DOE officials, focusing on school infrastructure improvements and school-based health centers. The discussion covers the assessment of building conditions, capital planning, and the management and funding of school-based health centers.
- Kevin Moran explains the Building Conditions Assessment Survey (BECAS) process and how it informs capital investments in schools.
- Emma Vadehra provides information on school-based health centers, including their management in partnership with DOHMH and current numbers.
- The potential impact of federal Medicaid funding changes on school-based health services is briefly discussed.
Mercedes Narcisse
2:10:48
Thank you, chair.
2:10:49
Good afternoon, and good afternoon, I mean, chancellor Rimers.
2:10:55
You've been there for us in one fifteen fourteen.
2:10:58
We were so happy to see you with all your leadership and I thank God that you believe in the same thing that I believe, make sure that our children are educated well and able to compete with the rest of the world and I want to say thank you for that.
2:11:12
The state of school infrastructure particularly in older buildings is a concern across many districts.
2:11:19
How does the budget propose to address the long standing capital needs in school facilities, particularly in the areas with aging infrastructure?
2:11:30
I know we talk about the access accessibility and stuff, but not the whole infrastructure.
2:11:35
How are we doing that?
Melissa Aviles-Ramos
2:11:40
Council member, I just wanna thank you so much and, you know, as you're one of your favorite people that's coming to to to speak to you, Kevin.
Kevin Moran
2:11:49
Good afternoon.
2:11:50
I very much appreciate the question.
2:11:53
These chairs are awesome.
Mercedes Narcisse
2:11:55
Thank you.
Kevin Moran
2:11:56
I I feel bad for you guys.
2:11:57
I'm gonna stay up here a while.
2:12:01
It's it's it's got cushion.
2:12:03
I don't know what we got going on back there.
2:12:04
It's pretty hard.
2:12:05
Yeah.
2:12:09
On a serious note
Rita Joseph
2:12:11
Excuse me.
Kevin Moran
2:12:12
On a serious note, we do evaluate our buildings on a yearly basis.
2:12:18
The Building Conditions Assessment Survey, otherwise known as the BECAS, informs our capital plan, informs our investments.
2:12:26
And that is ultimately coupled with your investments.
2:12:29
And so, to the entire council, I wanna thank you for your res o a contributions that do bring real quick turnaround in terms of spaces where people wanna develop and enhance a physical space.
2:12:42
And so, I'd say it's a partnership in the capital plan.
2:12:45
The categories are posted online, and our partners at the School Construction Authority work tirelessly to make sure these improvements happen in a timely fashion.
2:12:53
So, if there are any buildings that you're concerned about around the ultimate you know, the upkeep of the building or a capital enhancement, albeit it could be accessibility, it could be a new auditorium, it could be classroom conversions, those spaces we'd like to walk and talk with you because we can develop a plan in partnership with the electeds and the the school construction authority on the enhancements you wanna see.
2:13:16
But we do do the regular, the regimented assessment, follow-up on deficiency, and repair and restoration of the physical plant.
Mercedes Narcisse
2:13:24
Because as we speak, some schools like they don't have ACs, some school things are breaking down.
2:13:30
I'm doing my best.
2:13:31
You can follow my money.
2:13:32
I love school and I put my money where I can put it to make sure we have every aspect of the school being addressed, but I need your help to help me navigate this system because when you go in the cafeteria, the kids are sweating and the classroom is sweating, it's not good.
2:13:48
School based health centers.
2:13:50
School based health centres oh so my time is up.
2:13:54
Are school based health centres primarily managed by DOHMH?
2:13:59
Is there any funding for school based health centres in DOE budgets?
2:14:05
How many schools based health centers are there?
2:14:08
How many schools have access to one?
2:14:11
How many students do they serve?
Emma Vadehra
2:14:18
Yes, thank you for the question.
2:14:19
So we work really closely with DOHMH on all the direct services to students in our school.
2:14:25
We have actually a joint office.
2:14:29
Our office of school health actually reports to both agencies, and I wouldn't think that would work, but it actually works incredibly well in terms of taking their expertise and putting it and folding it into our schools.
2:14:41
So we work together on school based health centers, school based mental health centers.
2:14:46
We currently have three fourteen schools with our school based health centers.
2:14:53
We are continuing to expand our school based mental health centers as well.
2:14:57
Happy to talk about that too, but we work jointly with them.
2:15:00
It's not through funding in our budget, though.
2:15:02
A lot of both of these, the funding's coming from elsewhere, from the state, from Medicaid in some cases as well, and that's what our providers are going directly in terms of payments for the services.
Mercedes Narcisse
2:15:12
So how the Medicaid, knowing what's going on in federal level in the states, how you are you programming something or you planning around it because the health have to still be provided?
Emma Vadehra
2:15:24
Yes.
2:15:26
Appreciate the question very much cause we we talked earlier about some of the funding that comes directly into our budget from the federal government, but the reality is the funding that goes to our students and families but doesn't necessarily show up in our budget is just as critical.
2:15:40
And the Medicaid funding that's supporting the centers in our schools is a big piece of that in terms of our providers being able to afford to offer those services in our schools and us being able to expand them, which we actually are expanding those.
2:15:55
We are keeping a close eye on the budget bills at the federal level in terms of what that might mean, and we're in close contact with DOHMH and OMB.
2:16:03
We're really glad we've been able to expand these centers and wouldn't wanna lose progress on that.
2:16:08
Then lastly, how many students are being served?
2:16:10
And I'm done.
Mercedes Narcisse
2:16:11
I know I have a lot of questions.
2:16:13
Sorry.
UNKNOWN
2:16:14
You know, I did hear you ask that,
Emma Vadehra
2:16:16
and for some reason, I don't have that one in front of me, but I'll get it and share back shortly.
Mercedes Narcisse
2:16:20
Alright.
2:16:20
Thank you, cheers.
Justin Brannan
2:16:22
Thank you.
2:16:22
Now we have questions from Steve council member Stevens.