Flagler County School Board mandates electrocardiograms for student-athletes in 3-2 vote

Daytona Beach News-Journal | By Mary Ellen Ritter | September 25, 2024

In hopes of mitigating risks associated with sudden cardiac arrest, the Flagler County School Board last week approved mandating all student athletes to complete a required electrocardiogram (EKG) screening prior to participating in their first high school sport.

AdventHealth — a partner of Flagler Schools — recommended integrating cardiac screens, specifically EKGs, into existing pre-participation sports physicals because such screenings have detected cardiac abnormalities in approximately 3% of student athletes, according to the meeting’s agenda. Currently, AdventHealth provides free physicals and voluntary EKGs for students who wish to opt in.

Student athletes will only need to complete the mandatory EKG once during their four years of athletic participation, the new policy states.

Superintendent LaShakia Moore said the board will spend the rest of this current school year educating families on the change and putting procedures in place prior to it taking effect in the 2025-26 academic year.

All board members support EKGs; however, they were divided on whether or not the screenings should be required.

Board members Colleen Conklin, Cheryl Massaro and Sally Hunt, who resigned from the board Friday, voted in favor of the motion to mandate, which was made by Conklin and seconded by Massaro.

Chair Will Furry and Vice Chair Christy Chong opposed.

Here’s what each board member had to say about the decision.

Three Flagler School Board members vote to mandate EKGs

Massaro and Conklin believe that if mandated, and an EKG screening can save even one child, then it is worth implementing.

“I think that’s where a school district is responsible for doing everything we can to protect our children … and as long as this remains free and takes no more than 10 minutes … I don’t see a big drawback,” she said.

“I do think that this is a great opportunity for the procedures to be developed, for education to take place because if it saves one kid … it’s well worth it,” she added.

Conklin also believed this was an opportunity for the district to be progressive and capitalize on “local control.”

“We have the opportunity as school board members to make a local decision here,” she said. “The idea that you could save one child from just a simple test is worth all of it, and if it causes some aggravation — you know, you might be that aggravated parent and then find out your child was discovered with a heart abnormality.”

Conklin believes the school board is responsible for ensuring that students are safe and educated.

“This is not a vaccine,” she said. “It’s not invasive.”

“If they’re going to play on our athletic fields, they should be in good health to do that. Period,” she added.

As for Hunt, she hasn’t always been in favor of mandating EKGs, but on Tuesday, she voted in favor of requiring them for athletes, clarifying that this isn’t a mandate for all students and that if kids don’t play sports, they won’t have to get the screening.

“I don’t see this the same as mandates for public education. I see extracurriculars as just that … activities that students don’t have to participate in as part of public education. So I really do make that distinction,” she said. “Students can go to the classroom, they can fully participate as Flagler County students and not get this screening. I do believe that this is something that would be separate for activities. … I’m going to use the ‘M’ word. This is not masks. This is not every day. This is a one time, minutes, completely unintrusive procedure that does, in fact, save lives.”

Additionally, Hunt believes this will help improve confidence and safety of full sports teams, not just individual players.

“One of the reasons I think we do health physicals every year, it’s not just for that student athlete, but for the whole, right? The whole team. It’s that everybody gets on that field and that pool … expecting everybody around them is healthy,” she said.

“When we talk about parental rights, I also think of that,” she continued. “That it’s not just about my kid. It’s about all of the kids and everybody collectively feeling confident when they’re on the field or (in) the pool or wherever — that all of their teammates are safe and are going to get through that game together or that activity together.”

Two Flagler School board members opposed mandating EKGs

When it comes to health care, Chong, who practices family medicine, believes individuals should have a choice.

“I do support EKG screenings. I do sports physicals at work. There’s been times I’ve offered and said to a parent, I’d like to do an EKG. And they’re like, ‘Yes, please.’ But again, it’s just giving them that choice in health care,” she said. “We don’t force anything on anyone. We want the patient to make that decision. So just for me, I at the very least would like a parent opt-out, but I do hope that they’ll take it like so many already have.”

Furry echoed Chong, expressing concerns with mandating screenings.

“I feel our role in this community is (serving as) an educational institution, and this is an area where we’re mandating what a parent should do. … We’re making that choice for them,” he said.

Furry said he has faith that parents would “make the right decision” to have their children screened, even if screenings weren’t required.

He also raised concerns about financing this policy.

“I think it is wonderful, through our partnership, that we are able this time to offer this at no cost to our students,” he said. “But we can’t base a policy on what can change in the future, such as whether this stays a no-cost option for our students. Now, I believe that AdventHealth has every intention of continuing this program, but in reality, if something changes on their side … that will create another barrier for our student athletes to get this monitoring.”

Massaro said that if AdventHealth decides to stop funding these screenings, the school board can revise its policy.

“If it becomes cost prohibitive or there should be changes with AdventHealth … . Policies change. You change your policy if that happens to be the case,” she said. “But I don’t really see that coming down the pike.”

Community members express their opinions

April Adams, a 19-year educator in Flagler County, was one of eight community members to speak publicly prior to the board’s vote.

She shared that in May 2023, her son signed up for a free physical offered through Flagler Schools, and he opted-in to receive the EKG screening. His EKG came back abnormal and he was later diagnosed with Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome, a rare heart condition that causes an irregular or fast heartbeat.

“I’m glad we had the opportunity to discover and fix the issue before it had a chance to affect him on the (soccer) field,” Adams said. “Four athletes have died just in this past month across the United States due to undiagnosed heart issues, including one right here in Florida. I don’t understand why we wouldn’t put safeguards in place to protect the lives of our children here in Flagler. I am here today to beg of you to make this part of our athletic clearance so that we can catch more students who may have issues like my son.”