Board approves amendment to athletic-trainer MOU; members ask how student data will be reported to hospital

The board approved an amendment to the district’s memorandum of understanding with Northwest Specialty Hospital (NWSH) that continues district access to athletic trainers and clarifies reporting requirements. A board member asked administrators whether parents are notified that the athletic trainer will “track and provide a HIPAA-compliant monthly report to NWSH of the number of athletes requiring additional medical services.” A district administrator replied that the reports are likely counts and not student names but said she would research the exact contents and work with high school principals to ensure the information is communicated to parents. Financial and program details provided by the CFO: NWSH reimburses 80% of athletic trainers’ salaries on a reimbursement basis and provides $12,000 for supplies across the two high-school athletic programs; the total reimbursement in the prior year was presented by administrators as roughly in the low six figures (administrators said they could provide exact figures on request). Board action: Motion to approve the MOU amendment passed by voice vote; the board recorded a roll-call outcome later in the meeting when similar motions were taken (vote recorded as passing). Trustees asked staff to confirm what specifically will be included in HIPAA-compliant reports to the hospital and to ensure parents are informed. Why it matters: The MOU affects student-athlete medical coverage and supplies and has budget implications (reimbursement of a large portion of trainer salary and direct supply funding for athletics). Trustees focused on transparency with parents and on ensuring the reports would contain aggregated, HIPAA-compliant information rather than identifiable student data. Next steps: District staff will report back on the actual content of the monthly HIPAA-compliant reports and will coordinate communication to parents through school principals.