Yakima educators, nurses press board to address nurse staffing, safety and lunch breaks

Yakima School Board members heard extended testimony on March 18 from union representatives, current and former school nurses and community members who said current staffing and protocols put students and nurses at risk.

Frances Guerrero, representing the Yakima Education Association, told the board that a former district nurse described a situation in which a single nurse on duty had to manage multiple students needing injectable medication, inhalers and routine care at the same time. "The district faces a serious staffing and support issue, not a nursing problem," Guerrero said, urging the board to increase nursing staff and implement systems such as double checks used in hospitals.

Why it matters: Nurses described sustained staffing shortages and high workloads — including managing students with diabetes, seizures and cardiac conditions — that they say make safe care and uninterrupted duty‑free lunches impossible. Board members and the superintendent discussed funding constraints but acknowledged the issue is long‑running.

Discussion and main points

- Guerrero said the district has 19 nurses covering more than 20 buildings and urged the board to add nursing staff and adopt verification systems for high‑risk medications. "Expecting one nurse to manage high‑risk medications while also addressing behavioral and emotional challenges is unsustainable," she said.

- Guerrero cited a range of student medical needs she said nurses manage: 874 students with asthma, 159 with a history of seizures, 31 with Type 1 diabetes and 22 with Type 2 diabetes, 93 students with cardiac conditions and about 1,637 students with individualized health care plans managed by nurses.

- Don Fawcett, a member of the public, pointed to Washington law and the nursing code of conduct, saying nurses are legally prohibited from abandoning clients and that delegation of certain medical tasks to untrained staff can violate the Washington Administrative Code. "We aren't getting our lunches — you are legally required to give us our lunches," he said.

- Tara Gaston, a Garfield Elementary school nurse, described the liability and safety concerns of delegating clinical duties to nonmedical staff. She said 12 of the district’s 19 nurses have completed board certification for school nursing and asked the district to ensure lunches are uninterrupted or that nurses are compensated for missed breaks.

Board response and context

Superintendent Doctor Green and other board members acknowledged funding limits tied to state allocations and recommended continued advocacy to the Legislature for funding increases. Green said the district’s funding shortfall spans multiple categories and that state funding levels contribute to staffing difficulties. Finance staff later noted the district spends approximately 5.2% of its budget on health‑related services, a level that places the district near the top of Washington districts on that metric.

Clarifying details from the meeting

- Nurses on staff: 19 (as reported in testimony) - Buildings covered: "over 20" (testimony) - Student counts cited in testimony: 874 asthma; 159 seizure history; 31 Type 1 diabetes; 22 Type 2 diabetes; 93 cardiac conditions; 1,637 students with health care plans - Related legal authorities mentioned: Washington Administrative Code (WAC) and Revised Code of Washington (RCW)

What the speakers asked the board to do

Speakers requested the board pursue: hiring additional nurses (especially at peak times such as lunch and PE), adopting double‑check verification procedures for high‑risk medication administration, ensuring nurses receive uninterrupted duty‑free lunch or compensation when that is impossible, and standardizing protocols across buildings for handling complex medical needs.

Next steps noted on the record

Board members encouraged the union and district staff to continue discussions and to coordinate advocacy for additional state funding. No formal board motion or vote on nurse staffing occurred at this meeting.

Ending: The board received the testimony and discussed funding and legislative advocacy but did not take a formal action on staffing during the March 18 meeting.