Sheridan school receiving grant

The Arkansas Department of Education’s Division of Elementary and Secondary Education, in collaboration with the Arkansas Department of Health, selected four Arkansas schools to each receive $542,000 over a five-year period to implement school-based health centers.

Recipients are:

■ Sheridan High School in the Sheridan School District;

■ Darby Junior High School in the Fort Smith School District;

■ Fountain Lake Elementary School in the Fountain Lake School District;

■ Jessieville Elementary School in the Jessieville School District.

The centers at these schools will be fully operational during the 2021-22 school year and will provide health and wellness services to students, staff and families.

“Awarding these grants could not have come at a better time,” Education Secretary Johnny Key said in a news release.

“With our schools facing unprecedented health challenges this school year, these grants will give these four schools the opportunity to expand their partnerships, complete renovations and be prepared to offer health services at the beginning of the next school year,” Key said. “The services provided will not only help schools better assist students, they also will provide essential care to teachers and families.”

These four schools join 36 others around the state that have received state grant funding over the years to operate School-Based Health Centers. The centers remove physical and mental health barriers by offering these services on campus. As a result, academic achievement approves and the number of absences is reduced due to health issues, according to the release.

Grant applicants undergo a comprehensive, competitive application process that includes internal and external reviews and an onsite visit. Grant awardees partner with local health providers to implement three main components of school-based health centers: physical health services, mental and behavioral health services, and school health outreach programs. Many centers also offer additional services, such as oral health and optometry services.

Details on the schoolbased health center program are available at https://bit.ly/2Rw2oit.