JWP approves policy allowing opiate antagonist chemicals

Members of the Janesville-Waldorf-Pemberton (JWP) school board approved a policy which had been tabled at their previous meeting. Board members had expressed concern because the policy, suggested by the state, allows one student to administer medication meant to counter an opioid overdose to another student, if the emergency need should arise.

 

District superintendent Jeremy Erler said he had discussed the policy with board member Laura Seys in the interim; based on the new information, she no longer had any concerns with allowing students grades nine to twelve to possess and administer Naloxone to another student if they appeared to be under the influence of opioids.

 

“We’re not providing [Naloxone],” Erler clarified. “You can purchase it at any pharmacy. There are no negative effects on students.”

 

“If a little kid got a hold of it, it wouldn’t hurt?” school board member Monica Erickson asked. Erler replied that it would not.

 

He said Naloxone is kept in various places in the school building including the nurses’ room and in the athletic complex. Although the possibility had been addressed in the past of sending the medication along on buses or on field trips, the decision was reached that keeping it available on site is sufficient.

 

“But kids are not prohibited from carrying it with them on a field trip if they so choose?” board member Kevin Born inquired. Erler responded that students could carry it if they wished, but staff would not be taking it along. 

 

Erickson asked whether bus drivers could elect to carry Naloxone if they choose to: Erler said they could.

 

In other business, financial manager Wendy Dieker reported the school’s enrollment is falling gradually, which also leads to decreased income from the state. This year’s is significantly lower than the district has seen for numbers in the last five years.

 

“We have to try to get that back up a little higher to stay with our policy or our goal of a 25-percent fund balance which we haven’t maintained this year,” Dieker stated.

 

She added it may be worth cutting some expenditures and investigating whether the district is able to generate additional revenue.  

 

The school board also approved a contract services agreement with Minnesota Valley Education District in St. Peter from where a deaf and hard of hearing teacher commutes. According to Erler, the teacher comes for an hour and a half a week, so four percent of a full time equivalent (FTE) and costs the district about $4,500.

 

“The other special education places and services we provide don’t provide that,” Erler informed. “Therefore, that’s why we get it from Minnesota Valley Education District.”

 

“Do you happen to know how many students we have that use that service?” Erickson inquired.

 

“I know one for sure off the top of my head,” Erler answered.

 

Erickson then asked if the amount for special education was reimbursable to JWP to which Erler answered that it was.

 

During the superintendent report, Erler said the district must submit a report to the Minnesota Department of Education (MDE) each year about its activities. The report was recently submitted, stating 44 percent of females and 55 percent of males in grades nine through twelve participated in only sports activities.

 

“When it comes to dollars and [MDE] is looking at Title Nine, our dollars are very close between boys’ and girls’ programs also, which is a great thing,” Erler added.

 

On November 7, he relayed that Representative Keith Allen is going to visit all day as a principal and shadow the school principals and will be in a few classrooms, including at the high school.

 

“They’re going to have questions and different things for him, so that’ll be good,” Erler said. “David Rysdam is also working on getting another representative in on possibly a different day.”

 

In a few weeks on Nov. 14, he shared that Jason Lennox, a mental health, drug and addiction speaker plans a talk with high school students from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m.

 

He also stated how well the reading curriculum is going in the elementary school and soon the math curriculum will also be looked at.

 

In other business, the school board approved Jonathan Daschner for the junior high boys’ basketball coach and Emily Olson as assistant girls’ basketball coach.

 

The school board adjourned at 5:54 p.m.