Increasing attendance through asthma prevention.

Increasing attendance through asthma prevention. SAN ANTONIO'S (TEXAS) NORTH East Independent School District North East Independent School District is a school district located in San Antonio, Texas (USA). North East ISD serves the north central and northeast areas of Bexar County, covering approximately 144 square miles. (NEISD NEISD North East Independent School District ) grows by about 2,000 students per year, says SuperintendentRichard A. Middleton, because when new families move to town, manyprefer his district out of the 19 others in the city. In 2005, facing cuts in state education funding, Middleton startedlooking at ways to maximize revenue. A review of the attendance ratefrom that year and a few previous years showed stagnant numbers."In Texas, money comes from attendance," says Middleton, whoknew if he increased the number of kids coming in every day by just 1percent, NEISD would get an additional $3.4 million in funding. The primary culprit was asthma, which afflicts between 8 and 11percent of students statewide, according to according toprep.1. As stated or indicated by; on the authority of: according to historians.2. In keeping with: according to instructions.3. Diane Rhodes, board memberof the Asthma Coalition of Texas and a registered respiratory therapist.Asthma causes these students to miss over two to three weeks or more ofschool each year. In 2002, mold was discovered in three of NEISD's elementaryschools. The cause: a combination of flawed construction, contractorerror and failure of maintenance to notice. "It became clear to methat the construction management and maintenance departments did notshare the common goal of understanding environmental health,"recalls Middleton. New Department Ironically, the mold discovery was the first of three eventsMiddleton calls "a positive perfect storm" toward NEISD'swellness overhaul. From there, Middleton created a new Department ofEnvironmental Health to oversee air quality issues and advocate andmaintain a healthy environment for staff and students. He promoted RonClary clary:see sage. , his first-in-command custodian, to executive director forfacilities and maintenance to run that department. Says Middleton,"We then had departmental leadership that equally understood boththeir role and responsibility in building health." [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Clary's department conducts classroom evaluations, removesmold on ceilings and handles teacher concerns regarding more absenteeismor respiratory-related issues among students. In 2008, the district washonored by the federal Environmental Protection Agency for implementingsuccessful indoor air quality Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) deals with the content of interior air that could affect health and comfort of building occupants. The IAQ may be compromised by microbial contaminants (mold, bacteria), chemicals (such as carbon monoxide, radon), allergens, or any mass or energy stressor programs. Asthma Education In 2006, Rhodes approached Middleton about state and nationwidedata showing how asthma affects school attendance and shared ideas forhow to combat the district's condition. Middleton hired her thatyear as the district's director of asthma education for the newdepartment. Under Rhodes' guidance, community-wide "AsthmaBlow-Outs" would inform parents and students about asthma andfostering wellness at home. School nurses, physical education teachersand asthma professionals ran those evening information sessions. Seeing Results The effect of the Middleton-Clary-Rhodes trifecta tri��fec��ta?n.A system of betting in which the bettor must pick the first three winners in the correct sequence. Also called triple.[tri- + (per)fecta.] of asthmaprevention has been staggering. According to Rhodes, in early fall 2006,the number of inhalers used districtwide due to asthma during the firstsix weeks of school was more than 9,000. After implementing educationoutreach Education outreach is a variation of Cause Marketing and/or Strategic Philanthropy and other focused Public Affairs activities that are specific to education. These programs may include: Community events that occur in local venues or online; and classroom strategies, in early fall 2007 inhaler usedropped to 4,500. Surprisingly, these changes and improvements haven't increasedNEISD's overall budget. "We're the ninth-largest districtin the state," Middleton says, "and of 100 districts in Texas,97 spend more than we do on maintenance and custodial costs, yetwe're achieving excellent results." In addition, Middletonsays the district's attendance-based revenue from the state hassignificantly increased. DA Richard A. Middleton Superintendent, North East (Texas) IndependentSchool District Age: 62 Salary: $287,000 Students: 65,318 Faculty and staff: 9,145 (4,400 are teachers) Districtwide buildings: 63 Per-pupil expenditure: $7,570 Web site: www.neisd.net Jennifer Chase Esposito is a contributing writer for DISTRICTADMINISTRATION.