Latest news, weather and high school sports for Albany and Southwest Georgia

ALBANY, GA. -- The Dougherty County School Board discusses a potential community grant from Emory University’s Urban School of Health to provide school based health care.

The planning grant would allow the state to fund physical and mental health services for all students in school.

Presenters say if the grant is successful it would improve the Dougherty County School System.  “We have school nurses, we have Albany Area Primary Health Care, so with Phoebe and AAPHC this partnership could truly bring about the best healthcare in the schools that we can possibly have” says Angi Barber.

Barber’s co-presenter Clifton Bush says the first school would likely be Alice Coachman due to proximity to the nearest AAPHC clinic.  Board member Anita Williams-Brown says she would prefer the services be directed towards school with the most need.  “The program would treat children in their school which means it would improve attendance and hopefully grades.  Every child including the under or uninsured students would have access to this program” says Bush.

The school board also discussed the possibility of a career academy for students who are more focused on learning a trade as opposed to the college prep course or dropping out of school.

Officials say they want to hear more about the costs involved, how many students it would apply to, and if they could use current property instead of building a new facility.