A healthcare clinic that was supposed to open at Rickards High School is past due. But district administrators say they’ve got everything they need, and the office should open this Summer.
The district has a signed agreement with Neighborhood Health Center. The group is using federal dollars to operate the clinic at Rickards. The Leon County School District’s Alan Cox says the project was delayed due to construction—the facilities had to be upgraded to meet federal standards. Now, Cox says, all that’s left is to devise a way people can reach the facility.
“When we had the ribbon cutting ceremony… they were in the process of making the changes to get certified," Cox said. "The building has been completed, now we’re just completing the parking area, re-striping and that kind of thing.”
The Leon County School Board recently approved funding for a study of traffic into and out of the facility.
District Superintendent Jackie Pons, city and county officers and representatives of Neighborhood Health Services announced the clinic in February. Cox says the district had been searching for a way to offer more healthcare at its schools, and neighborhood approached the district with a plan. He says the school board and the provider signed what’s known as a memorandum of understanding last year.
