Board staff warn CPR training assurance became an unfunded mandate after session

Grants compliance staff told the finance committee that, following the recent legislative session, a state assurance requiring LEAs to certify CPR training has been added to the LEA annual assurances document even though the dedicated grant funding that previously supported hands‑on CPR and AED instruction was removed.

Jody Parker, the board’s health education specialist, said statute (53G10408) still requires a hands‑on CPR component for brick‑and‑mortar high schools but waives that hands‑on requirement for online schools, which must instead provide an approved cognitive module (for example, American Heart or Red Cross online modules). Parker said many districts rely on school nurses, athletic trainers, or coaches—staff who already hold CPR certification and often perform training and recertification internally. She told the committee roughly half of LEAs have used the prior funding; the other half rely on their own staff and existing equipment (manikins, AED trainers).

Committee members pressed staff on cost and implementation: who pays certification or recertification costs for staff, and whether teachers need added certification to deliver training. Parker said certification for many staff is an existing requirement and that national CPR/first‑aid certifications typically require renewal every two years; one figure discussed in committee estimated a two‑year recertification cost around $35 per person, but Parker cautioned costs and arrangements vary widely by LEA. Members requested that Jody Parker and other specialists provide more detail to the committee on implementation options for smaller districts and online schools.