Schools, policymakers, students, parents, and health advocates celebrated a big win for student health in the 2019 Kentucky legislative session with passage of House Bill 11, which established a statewide tobacco-free school campus policy. All are celebrating again at the start of the school year as school districts are acting early to comply with HB 11. When the bill became law, only 72 of the state's 173 school districts, or 42 percent, were tobacco-free [...]

This school year, pending federal Centers of Medicaid and Medicare approval, local school districts will have the opportunity to expand health and behavioral health services already offered to students in schools by leveraging federal Medicaid dollars. By expanding health services to all students and billing services for Medicaid-eligible students, schools can help address immediate health care needs, connect students to quality health providers, and keep students learning. Additionally, this opportunity, called free care, creates a [...]

As summer break winds down for many Kentucky students, parents and caregivers are preparing to get school supplies together, health forms filled out, after-school care figured out, and more for the new school year. Whether your little one is off to kindergarten or senior year, below are helpful tips your family can utilize to ensure your child’s health will be in good shape as they head back to school and settle into their school routine. [...]