The Augusta School Department is providing clarification regarding services offered through the School-Based Health Center (SBHC). The SBHC has operated at Cony since 2010. In 2024, services were made free to students through grant funding. The SBHC is a partnership designed to support student health while maintaining parental control over participation. Parents make enrollment decisions annually during registration and/or in back-to-school paperwork.
Changes That Gave Parents Control
In the spring of 2025, the district shifted from an "opt-out" to an "opt-in" model, giving parents greater control. Students may access SBHC referral services such as Maine Family Planning and Kennebec Behavioral Health only after parents have actively enrolled them and selected the specific services. To clarify, this is not a blanket enrollment. Even after a parent signs the opt-in form, they will still need to select the specific services they want their child to access. Prior to the shift, students had access to Maine Family Planning services unless their parents had opted them out.
The SBHC exists to supplement—not replace—primary care by providing convenient access to basic health services that support student well-being and learning.
SBHC Available Services
Sports physicals for athletic participation
Urgent care for minor illnesses and injuries (including testing and treatment for strep, flu, COVID-19, UTI, ear infection, minor injuries, and rashes)
Mental health counseling as outlined in the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU)
Pregnancy testing as a health screening tool
Partially Provided (Referral) Services ONLY with Parent Consent (Opt-in paperwork signed and on file)
Maine Family Planning, as a third-party service, is an independent health organization that provides family planning services through the SBHC with prior parental permission. Any prescriptions or related services are managed solely by Maine Family Planning, not school staff.
Oral contraceptives (birth control pills): though not provided by school staff, they can be administered through Maine Family Planning only if a parent opts their child into this service.
Condom distribution is available but limited due to changes in federal funding
Services Not Provided
Gender-affirming care is not available through the SBHC
For more information visit: https://www.augustaschools.org/o/cony/page/sbhc