This is just the sort of article that I do not enjoy writing. This is what happens when I’ve expended lots of energy trying to get things done through proper channels, using a calm demeanor and a (hopefully) sound argument, and I haven’t achieved the desired result.
Just so you have some quick background, among several issues that we attempted to tackle over the summer, a potential problem with the nursing staff was brought to my attention from multiple administrative sources in the district. For two months I’ve been trying to make sure that there would be sufficient school nurse coverage in the district. Unlike with other issues, unfortunately my efforts seem to have fallen on deaf ears, and I can’t for the life of me understand the reason why. When you consider the possible consequences, this has the potential to be a gravely serious issue.
So, this is the part where I raise public awareness, and in all likelihood, raise Holy Hell in the process. Basically this type of article is my “Plan D” in the NutleyWatch playbook. Seems the only way things get accomplished quickly in the Belleville school district is to explain to parents what exactly is happening to their kids on a daily basis, and what is at stake. That’s when things tend to hit the fan, so to speak.
I’m under some time pressure to get this story written, so let’s get started.
There are nine schools in the wonderful township of Belleville. Last school year, there were eleven school nurses on staff. On paper, it sounds like there is one nurse per school, plus two extra nurses on staff. Sounds good so far, right?
From a number cruncher’s perspective looking to chip away at a massive budget deficit, in theory two nurses could be let go, in order to save some money toward the massive 4.8 million dollar smoking crater this Board of Education kindly bestowed upon the Belleville taxpayers last school year. Hey, cuts have to be made somewhere, and it won’t always be a painless process.
To their credit, the nurses themselves didn’t even complain about the staffing shortage, and have been prepared to do whatever is necessary. Belleville has some seriously stoic school nurses. If they ever have an intramural sports team, they should be nicknamed, “The Spartans in Scrubs”!
Anyway, thanks to the reckless spending of the locally infamous Board Gone Berserk, until we claw our way out of this gaping financial chasm, we’ll just have to get used to doing more with less.
Well, it seems that was the likely thought process behind sending two non-tenured nurses RIF (Reduction In Force) notices, and then not hiring them back. In lean times like this, one nurse for each school should be sufficient. Sounds logical, doesn’t it?
On paper, it sure does. However, to understand the gravity of the situation, this is where having boots on the ground means everything.
Two of the schools in the district have an enormous student population. Off the top of my head, I believe the High School has over 1300 students, and the Middle School has approximately 1100 students. These two schools also seem to have the highest frequency of medical incidents, by far. In short, one nurse is not nearly enough coverage for each of these two very busy schools, where the vast majority of the action occurs.
What does that mean? It means that starting next week, nurses will need to be rotated out of the other seven schools to help pitch in at the High School and the Middle School.
And here’s the part that parents actually need to be concerned about – this also means that on any given day, at least two schools in the district will be without a trained school nurse on site.
That’s under ideal circumstances, with full attendance by the nursing staff. What about when nurses are out sick? Take personal days? Vacation?
If one nurse is out for example, then three out of nine schools – one third of the entire district – will be without any nurse on school grounds, all day long.
While I can only speak in general terms, I’m sure each school has a number of students with medical conditions that require immediate attention, should anything arise. Simple, commonplace conditions like food allergies or asthma can develop at the drop of a dime, and often have severe symptoms that require prompt medical intervention by a trained professional.
Let’s look at one scenario, as an example. How many kids carry EpiPens to school? Without a nurse present, who is qualified to treat or deal with a student who suddenly suffers from a severe allergic reaction (anaphylaxis)? Every minute counts in responding to such an emergency. What about a severe asthma attack?
Not having a nurse at every school creates tremendous potential exposure for the school district. We’re not just talking about legal liability here in the event of an injury or negligence. I think we’ve already established that this particular Board isn’t the slightest bit perturbed by lawsuits taken against them. Evidently they must believe they can’t be held personally liable no matter what they do. We’ll just see about that. No, I’m talking about putting kids at risk.
Like most other issues we address here, this ultimately all boils down to the kids of Belleville and how it impacts them, either directly or indirectly. Every day that a school in the district is without a nurse on site is like playing Russian Roulette with the kids in that particular building.
So, are we to understand that the Board’s gameplan here is to throw caution to the wind, and hope that no medical emergencies occur at whichever schools happen to draw the short straw that day?
If you’re the parent of a child with asthma, or some other medical condition that can manifest itself in a heartbeat with no warning, how thrilled are you right now to hear that your child may be in class without a nurse on school grounds? This is how the Belleville Board of Education is handling the medical safety and well being of its student population?
And mind you, while the Board is short-staffing the nursing department, they’re still very busy trying to create artificial demand for questionable classes so that they can give jobs back to their political friends.
Enrich their buddies – check. Conceivably endanger the students – you can check that box, too. Sadly, this qualifies as rational, conscionable behavior from the trustees.
On a side note, “trustee” sure has become a word laced with tragic irony in this town, hasn’t it?
Since thusfar my efforts to overturn this ludicrous situation have failed, it’s time for the parents of Belleville to truly understand what is going on here, to see yet another glaring example of astoundingly poor judgement by this Board, and to share in my personal outrage. While I hate to have to form a lynch mob, this issue isn’t about a shortage of textbooks or printer cartridges – this is about an alarming staffing gap that is potentially a life-threatening oversight.
Sorry, but I’m not going to stand by and watch anyone play Russian Roulette with even one child, let alone hundreds a day.
Next Monday (the 15th) is the next Board of Education meeting at the High School. Go there, stand up to the podium, and ask this Board what on earth they were thinking in under-staffing the nurses in the school district, and potentially putting children at risk every day.
Be sure to welcome Interim Superintendent Acosta on Monday, then politely ask him point blank what he plans to do about this latest disgrace. Ask him how quickly he’s going to rectify this situation, or have him explain to everyone exactly why he doesn’t think it’s a huge problem.
The Belleville school district needs two more full time nurses on staff. There’s simply no way around it. This is not an area where a staffing gap can be allowed to exist.
Time for Mr. Acosta to roll up his sleeves, and get to work.
~ Griff
Update: NorthJersey.com has published their coverage of the meeting.
Belleville BOE addresses tech issues, swears in new trustee
Update (1/11/15): At the 9/15/14 BOE public meeting, just days after this article was first published, Ms. Joan Lewis got up before the board and spoke out about her concerns over the nurses being short-staffed in the Belleville school district.
In response to her plea, Acting Superintendent Acosta immediately promised that once money came in from the state, they were, “absolutely going to rehire at least one full-time nurse”.
Watch the exchange here:
At the time of this writing, that promise by Mr. Acosta was made four months ago.
Four months.
How much longer should Belleville parents be expected to sit and wait, while Mr. Acosta and the Board continues to play Russian Roulette with the health and safety of 4,700 students each day?
Is the gameplan to wait until something bad happens? Will anyone in this administration ever finally learn how to avoid a catastrophic event, before it actually occurs?
Having transient agency nurses flying in and out of the district just doesn’t cut it. That is not an adequate solution. They are not vested in these kids, nor their individual needs.
We’ve seen quite a lot of talking over the last year, and little if any follow up on the many issues raised by residents, over and over again.
Mr. Acosta, I’m pretty sure the title Acting Superintendent was not meant to be a reference to your dramatic performance onstage.
We’ve had enough talk. We’ve had enough posturing. Now it’s time for action. Children’s lives are at stake here.
Please get this district the dedicated healthcare staffing it needs, before something finally happens that you cannot talk your way around.
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