Distinguished Person of Honor

(April 18, 1931 — Nov. 21, 2014)

Peggy became a school nurse in 1959 and joined the Olathe district in 1966. She became the district health coordinator in 1971. Her career focused on the health and well-being of students: establishing the Student Health Emergency Fund with her own money, obtaining a grant to fund regular preschool screenings for all district students, and writing extensive departmental reports that went beyond what was required by the state. The Student Health Emergency Fund distributed more than $14,000 in 2015-16 to assist about 150 students with medical expenses their families could not afford. Peggy’s vision to screen all preschool-age children for hearing, vision, speech, motor skills, cognitive skills, etc. launched the district’s screenings long before they were required by the state. Her detailed school health services reports covered every aspect of a nurse’s duties, from immunization compliance and health room visits to screenings and health education. Peggy retired from the district in 1992 but continued to volunteer in a school nurse’s office for several years. Her expertise in the field of school nursing and involvement in multiple community, state and national nursing organizations earned several awards in her lengthy career.