As part of the St. Louis Park district’s budget cuts there will be a change in health services at Benilde-St. Margaret’s. The state of Minnesota provides money to public schools and with that money schools provide students health services, textbooks, and counselors. Even though BSM is not a public school because BSM is located in St. Louis Park it is the job of the district to provide the school with health services, textbooks and counselors. “Technically they are not giving those services to the school they are giving them to the students,” said senior high school principal Dr. Sue Skinner.

Unfortunately these changes will mean that the current school nurse at BSM, Sharon Ingalls, will not be working here next year. However this does not mean BSM will be without health services. For the district of St. Louis Park it may be financially easier to provide health services through a third party. “It’s easier on the St. Louis park budget when they contract services because they don’t have to carry the benefits for the employee,” said Dr. Skinner. It will through a third party vendor that BSM will be working with who will provide health services for the 2013-2014 school year.