School nurses said they are energized to become the newest employees at Roanoke City Public Schools.
And the city school board was energized by a shuffling of chairpersons during its annual organizational meeting Tuesday night.
Carilion Clinic told the school division it would be discontinuing its school nurse program at year’s end, so school officials decided to employ its health care providers directly, after more than 10 years using contracted staff.
An assembly of nurses wore matching T-shirts as the school board unanimously approved a plan for the division to reassume management of student health services as the Carilion contract is phased out.
Nursing team lead Carrie Roach said in public comment that the work is both important and rewarding.
“Bringing school nursing services in-house is a necessary and strategic step forward for us,” Roach said. “By integrating our nursing staff more closely with school-based services, we can more effectively respond to the evolving needs of the students and their families.”
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It’s a long-term investment in student health, she said. The in-house nursing program will cost about $3.15 million for the upcoming school year, similar to the amount Carilion charged, school officials said previously.
Board Member Eli Jamison said she is pleased that school administrators so quickly found a solution after Carilion’s unexpected decision to discontinue its school nursing program.
“Everybody loves their school nurse,” Jamison said. “It’s nice that we’ll be able to call them ours now.”
Also Tuesday, the school board unanimously elected Franny Apel as chairperson and Michael Cherry as vice chair for the upcoming school year.
Jamison, who served as chairperson since 2022, nominated Apel as her successor. The appointed officials shifted seats, with a smiling Jamison shuffling out of the point position for the final year of her third term on the board.
“Eli, you seem a bit too happy,” Board member Joyce Watkins said.