The Scranton School District will send a letter home to parents, disputing concerns of school nurses who say their level of staffing could lead to potentially dangerous situations for students.
The district has also posted a video on Facebook of comments School Director Cy Douaihy made at a school board meeting last week, in which he defended the district’s staffing levels and criticized a Nov. 16 Sunday Times story about the issue. His comments included several misconceptions about the article, but on Tuesday Mr. Douaihy said he stands by his
comments.
In the Nov. 16 article, certified school nurses expressed concerns that the current staffing level does not provide adequate care for students. The nurses first discussed their concerns at a school board health and safety committee meeting last month.
Though the district meets all state guidelines for student care, the nurses, who sometimes act as the primary health care provider for students, said more nurses need to be hired.
Along with the 11 certified school nurses, 12 licensed practical nurses and two medical clerks currently assist with care.
Licensed practical nurses can dispense medication but must work under the supervision of a certified school nurse. Certified school nurses are registered nurses who receive further certification to work in schools. When a nurse leaves her school to visit a private school or another district school, the district makes arrangements so someone else can cover her school in her absence. The district makes every effort to make sure a school is never left uncovered, district administrators have said.
State guidelines require a district employ at least one certified school nurse for every 1,500 students. In Scranton, the ratio is currently one nurse for every 903 students, which is similar to the ratios at surrounding districts. The state’s ratio, which was enacted in 1965, is outdated, the nurses and advocacy groups argue.
During last week’s meeting, Mr. Douaihy criticized the ratio used by the newspaper because it did not include LPNs. State guidelines only look at the ratio of certified school nurses, and many area districts, including Scranton, use LPNs in addition to certified school nurses. Mr. Douaihy also criticized the newspaper for only mentioning LPNs one time in the story. LPNs, and the work they do, were mentioned several times.
Acting Superintendent John Marichak said he decided the video containing Mr. Douaihy’s comments should be posted this week after receiving calls from concerned parents.
“We just wanted to make sure we got our message out,” he said. “We wanted to make sure they understand it was not their reality. We have their children covered.”
On Facebook, the district asked parents to share the video, “which sets the record straight.” Mr. Marichak said it was not the district’s official response to the story, and instead, a letter will be sent home to parents.
When questioned about why the district posted a video that included inaccurate information, Mr. Marichak said the district was free to post it, regardless of the information it contained.
“It’s a two-way street,” he said. “You can write what you want.”
Mr. Douaihy said he was consulted before the video was posted.
“My main focus is that our parents understand we have a safe and healthy environment for their children,” he said.
Rosemary Boland, president of the Scranton Federation of Teachers, which represents nurses, said she stands by them and their concerns.
“I know they’re doing their job. I know they have legitimate concerns,” she said. “They’re genuine. They really do care about students.”
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shofius@timesshamrock.com, @hofiushallTT on Twitter