WINFIELD - The Putnam County Board of Education voted unanimously Monday night to approve the creation of a new itinerant school nurse position.
"What's happening is we're getting more and more kids with these severe peanut allergies," Superintendent Chuck Hatfield told the board. "Unfortunately, some of our nurses are spending as much time on the road because we have them covering three or four schools."
There's also been a rise in diabetes among students, Hatfield said, which in some cases requires care from nurses multiple times a day.
The itinerant position will account for the time nurses travel and will help alleviate some of other nurses' stress.
"It's a growing problem," Hatfield said.
Also Monday, the board unanimously voted to:
n Approve 32 Putnam County businesses that will be covered through the state Board of Risk and Insurance Management as sites for unpaid, work-based learning where students in grades nine through 12 will participate in off-school learning experiences.
n Approve more than 50 fundraisers for the 2015 to 2016 fiscal year.