School Clinics Not the American Way

Talk about needs for social services and health care, Santa Ana certainly has them. So why shouldn’t the public schools get into the health-care business? It’s only practical; the kids are there, the schools are conveniently located. Many parents don’t drive. And certainly it would take a load off the teachers who work so hard, often against great odds. The answer is no way. It isn’t the American way.

Through Medi-Cal funding, now managed by the county’s newly created CALOPTIMA system, our schools are being placed in HMOs, which are regulated and monitored by federal guidelines. The new system will undoubtedly be bringing in a steady stream of tax money per family member to our schools. They call it, “a new health-care delivery system.”

Originally, the Santa Ana Board of Education was told that these clinics would be funded by private foundations. But as we have learned, the foundations are used to get the clinics in, and then public tax dollars follow to sustain a costly system.

While initially the Board of Education was to set the policy for these clinics, control was quietly transferred to an unelected group, Santa Ana 2000, “a federally funded restructuring agency.” The group has no press coverage at its meetings.

Schools have always cared about “the whole child” through the work of the school nurse. But it was up to parents to take responsibility for the child’s well-being. Schools cannot afford to become “enablers” catering to parental irresponsibility. Most parents need help, encouragement and information. And at times parents need financial support, while they are learning to “fish” for themselves.

The well-intended Great Society has certainly hurt the family, giving us welfare generations and tremendous urban problems. Now the federally managed Goals 2000 Society will ultimately destroy the family, putting our children under the care of the government village. It will change our entire health-care system. Do we really want nationalized health care sneaking in through the back door, or should I say through the school door?

The last thing we need is a costly new entitlement. Bring back local control. Bring back the school nurses. The children need strong families.

ROSEMARIE AVILA

Board member

Santa Ana Unified School District