Invest in School Health and Mental Health Staff and Clinics
Pathways Recommendation
Invest in school physical health and mental health professionals and school health clinics. Increase school nurse ratios to the national standard in order to identify health issues early, manage connections with community providers and serve students’ families.
Why This Matters
Children’s mental and physical health greatly impacts their success at school. School-based health professionals and clinics increase student access to primary and preventative health care, particularly children of color and children living with low income, by removing barriers such as lack of financial resources and transportation and scheduling conflicts for parents.1 Sixty percent of NC schools do not meet the recommended standard of one school nurse for every 750 students, and in many cases school nurses are the only licensed health care provider in schools.2
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