FLAGLER COUNTY, Fla. – The Flagler County school district may become the second district in the state to give Narcan to its staff and nurses to administer to students.
The spray is used to treat someone suspected of experiencing an opioid overdose and on Tuesday, the school board met in a workshop to create a policy for it.
The school resource deputies already carry Narcan from the sheriff’s office, but school leaders want more of it on campuses. They’re looking to give It to staff at all nine locations, including elementary schools.
“Today, unintentional overdose with people who aren’t even in substance abuse has become more common because they’re hiding the fentanyl in everything,” said Michael Feldbauer, president of the county’s Drug Court Foundation.
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Hiding it in candy, marijuana, fake pills and calling it Adderall, whatever it may be, Feldbauer said he wants to get ahead of the possibility of a student overdosing. That’s why he approached the school board with this idea a few weeks ago.
“We hope it’s never needed, and to date we don’t know of any overdoses in our school system, and we’re thankful for that but we don’t know,” he said.
Using a grant from DCF, the foundation would provide Narcan to the schools.
“As long as we have the grant, we will supply them with the Narcan they need so there’s no charge, so it’s not a budgetary issue,” he said.
It would be added to the list of emergency medications that can be given to students. In 2022, legislation was signed adding schools to the state’s list of agencies allowed to store and give Narcan.
Flagler would be the first district in Central Florida to give it to staff.
“This is a forerunner for Florida right now, so this is something new that we’re venturing into and pioneering,” said Marquez Jackson.
Jackson, the district’s head of student services, said it would likely be school nurses who would give it, but those details, Including training plans, are what’s being drafted out in Tuesday’s workshop.
“If approved, the superintendent would decide operationally what that would look like as far as storage, access,” he said.
Jackson said at the workshop, the board will come up with a policy. If approved, it will then be brought to the formal school board meeting in two weeks for a vote to advertise the policy.
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