ED-HEALTH, Dwayne Evans pitches health clinics

Dwayne Evans, formerly of Proviso East, is now the principal at Thornton Fractional North High School in District 215. Evans is pushing to create a school-based health clinic there. See Northwest Indiana Times (Phil Rockrohr).

I've explained my concerns about the school-based clinics in Forest Park Review.

I also wrote a letter to the editor of Northwest Indiana Times.

District 215 should be cautious about applying for a federal grant to create a health clinic at Thornton Fractional North High School.

Principal Dwayne Evans cites his experience doing the same thing at Proviso East. Does Evans know how the funding worked after he left?

The federal government stopped funding the grants in question and the school district was asked to fund the clinic instead.

Providing health care to those with low incomes traditionally has been done by Medicaid. Medicaid is funded by the state and federal governments, which
means sales taxes and income taxes. By withdrawing federal support for the clinic, the tax burden was shifted from income taxes to property taxes.

If District 215 invites the clinic into the high school, taxpayers will likely be played with the same bait-and-switch that happened at Proviso East.

Once the clinic establishes a track record, the local taxpayers will be asked to replace the initial federal funding with higher property taxes.

I would recommend District 215 reject the clinic offer unless the federal government commits in writing to provide the necessary grants for at least 15 years.