State

lawmakers, as part of the governor's reforms, approved

$30 million for local school boards to hire school

nurses. Georgia Family Council (GFC) proposed an

amendment to the school nurse legislation. The amendment

would have mandated that nurses acquire parental approval

before administering any non-emergency medical procedures

or drugs. Although Senator Rick Price supported GFC's

amendment, it was narrowly defeated in the Senate.

Why is the

school nurse issue a big deal? During the past few years,

the number of students taking medications at school has

increased dramatically. This places an additional burden

on school staff because when a student takes medicine

- say insulin for diabetes - a school staff

member (often a teacher) must dispense the drug. Thus,

instead of teaching, teachers are spending more time

medicating.

So, school

nurses are needed. But there is a danger here. School

medical personnel have a history of overreaching their

duties. Instead of simply supervising medical procedures,

they have taken the next step - prescribing medical

procedures.

In

Pennsylvania three years ago, 59 girls, ages 11 and 12

years old, were forcibly subjected to internal

gynecological examinations at school. According to press

accounts, when the girls learned what was happening, they

panicked. One girl tried to escape out a window. Another

girl was taken kicking and screaming into the examination

room where she was forcibly held down and probed. The

school never asked parents for permission.

"That

could never happen in Georgia," you say? Eighteen

months ago in Gwinnett County, a high school girl visited

a local teen pregnancy center to receive contraceptives.

The nurse was prepared to administer the contraceptives,

and paused to ask the girl if she had any pre-existing

conditions. At first the girl said no, but a few minutes

later, she casually mentioned a heart murmur. Later the

family doctor informed the girl's mother that, had the

nurse administered the medication, there was a great

probability the girl would have gone into cardiac arrest.

The school

nurse issue isn't about contraceptives or abortion

(Georgia law prohibits both on school grounds). It's

about parental involvement. When schools treat students

without parental consent or knowledge the integrity of

families is undermined and children are placed at risk.

This

summer, the Fayette County School Board will consider

hiring school nurses and will set the protocol for those

nurses. GFC has contacted every school board member with

one message: keep parents involved. Parents care more,

know more, and are the more responsible for their child's

health decisions than hired help.

Randy

Hicks

President

Georgia

Family Council