SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 63

(By Senators Rucker, Stollings, Unger, Palumbo, Plymale, and Cline)

[Introduced March 5, 2020]

Requesting the Joint Committee on Government and Finance study the current student-to-school nurse staffing ratios and student-to-professional counselor staffing ratios in all West Virginia public schools.

Whereas, The American Academy of Pediatrics has found that the role of school nurses has evolved and become increasingly important in our schools, and that the use of current ratios for workload determination in school nursing alone is inadequate to meet the increasingly complex health needs of students; and

Whereas, The National Association of School Nurses found that school nursing services should be determined at levels that are sufficient for providing the range of health care necessary to meet the needs of school children; and

            Whereas, The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that smaller school nurse-to-student ratios are associated with lower absenteeism rates, higher graduation rates, and an overall improvement in educational outcomes; and

            Whereas, The American School Counselor Association recognizes that the role of professional counselors involves helping students in areas of academic achievement, personal and social development, and career development; and

            Whereas, Based on data from the 2014-2015 National Education Survey, a nationwide assessment administered by the United States Department of Education and the National Association for College Admission Counseling found that overwhelmingly large student caseloads and inequitable access to counseling can significantly reduce the effect of these outcomes; and

Whereas, The West Virginia Department of Education reported an enrollment number of 261,633 students, grades K-12, in West Virginia public schools for the 2019-2020 school year, and that West Virginia has increasingly rising health needs and a commitment to attending to the social, emotional, and mental health needs of our students; therefore, be it

Resolved by the Legislature of West Virginia:

That the Joint Committee on Government and Finance study the current student-to-school nurse staffing ratios and student-to-professional counselor staffing ratios in all West Virginia public schools; and, be it

Further Resolved, That the Joint Committee on Government and Finance report to the regular session of the Legislature, 2021, on its findings, conclusions, and recommendations, together with drafts of any legislation necessary to effectuate its recommendations; and, be it

Further Resolved, That the expenses necessary to conduct this study, to prepare a report, and to draft necessary legislation be paid from legislative appropriations to the Joint Committee on Government and Finance.