Your guide to NYC's public proceedings.
PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Testimony by David Appel, Director of School Health Program at Einstein College of Medicine and Children's Hospital Montefiore
4:19:56
·
137 sec
David Appel, a professor emeritus and founder of the Montefiore School Health Program, urges the city council to increase funding for school-based health centers. He requests an $18 million increase to the current $7 million budget to fund all 135 New York City school-based health centers at $100,000 per year plus $100 per student.
- The proposed funding would match what New York City spends on school nurses for each site.
- Currently, only 35 out of 135 school-based health centers receive city funding.
- Appel argues this increase would boost mental health services for hard-to-reach children in New York City's neediest neighborhoods.
David Appel
4:19:56
My name is David Appel.
4:19:58
I'm professor emeritus at Einstein College of Medicine and the Children's Hospital Montefiore.
4:20:05
He's the founder of the Montefiore School Health Program and the founder of the New York City School Based Health Alliance.
4:20:13
I'm here to urge that city council earmark school based health center funding in the restoration of funding for school nurses.
4:20:22
We're requesting an increase to this year's $7,000,000 in city tax levied funding for school based health centers by $18,000,000 to fund all New York City school based health centers at $100,000 a year plus $100 per student.
4:20:40
That is equivalent to what New York City would spend to have a school nurse at each of the 135 sites.
4:20:48
When a school based health center comes into a school, the school nurse is pulled to another site and so is the funding.
4:20:55
Because school based health centers are eligible for a 20% New York State Article six match, the total baseline funding will be $30,000,000 for New York City's One Hundred And Thirty Five school based health sites.
4:21:08
The current landscape.
4:21:09
Currently there is just under $7,000,000 of funding in this year's budget going to New York City DOHMH to support 35 of the 35 school based health centers operating in New York City public schools.
4:21:24
99 are unfunded in this year's budget.
4:21:27
Because the, because school based health centers are eligible for the match, the baseline funding will be $7,800,000 for 35 sites.
4:21:41
New York City DOHMH, New York City DOE, and contracting agencies are funded to provide school nurse services in public schools.
4:21:50
199 school based health centers receive no funding from New York City to provide those same services.
4:21:59
The best way to immediately boost mental health services for hard to reach children is to provide funding for the 99 unfunded long standing school based health centers located in some of New York City's neediest neighborhoods.
4:22:13
Thank you.