§28.  Certified school nurses; city and parish school systems; plan development, adoption, and implementation

A.  Each city and parish school system shall employ at least one school nurse certified by the State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education but shall not exceed a statewide average of one certified school nurse for each one thousand five hundred students.  Each certified school nurse shall be responsible for performing such health care services as may be required by state law, guidelines established by the Department of Education, or both, provided these services comply with the rules and regulations as established by the Louisiana State Board of Nursing.  The school nurse program shall be funded through the state general fund and included within the budget of the Department of Education, office of academic programs, bureau of student services.

B.(1)  By not later than November 1, 1995, each city and parish school system may develop and adopt a plan relative to school nurse programs which shall include but not be limited to information as to the number of certified school nurses employed by each system and if not sufficient, the number each system projects is needed, and the cost of employing such nurses including all local, state, and other sources of funding.

(2)  By not later than January 30, 1996, each city and parish school system may submit such plans to the state superintendent of education for approval and the superintendent may submit such plans to the Joint Legislative Committee on the Budget prior to the beginning of the 1996 Regular Session of the Legislature.

(3)  The state superintendent of education may provide for the implementation by each city and parish school system of such plans beginning with the 1997-1998 school year.

Acts 1985, No. 735, §1, eff. July 17, 1985; Acts 1995, No. 1090, §1, eff. June 29, 1995.