Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the School Nurse Staffing topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Rutherford County board unveils resolution asking state for funding to meet new school-nurse ratio
Summary
Board members presented a resolution asking the Tennessee General Assembly to provide funding to meet a new school-nurse ratio; speakers said the law changed but no dedicated state funding followed, and the district has added positions but remains short of the required ratio.
Rutherford County Schools board members introduced a resolution at their May work session calling on the Tennessee General Assembly to appropriate funding so districts can meet a new school-nurse staffing ratio required by state law.
The resolution notes the district’s view that school nurses “play a vital role” in managing student health and emergencies and cites the district’s concern that a change in state law establishing a 1-to-750 school nurse-to-student ratio was not accompanied by dedicated funding. The resolution, as read at the work session, references the state citation provided in the text: “TCA 49 3 3 59 3 59.”
District staff said Rutherford County Schools has added three nursing positions this year but remains below the new ratio target. The resolution asks lawmakers to use the Tennessee Investment in Student Achievement (TISA) formula or another funding mechanism to ensure every district can hire and retain licensed school nurses.
Board members described the resolution as both an informational statement to be used by the Tennessee School Boards Association (TSBA) and, if approved locally, a vehicle to take to the TSBA delegate assembly for statewide lobbying. “If we pass it here on this level, in November, we can go to the delegate assembly and set this up as a resolution for them to lobby next year for this,” a board member said during the discussion.
Speakers also suggested short-term staffing options such as hiring part-time, retired registered nurses to fill positions while the district pursues longer-term funding. Administrators and board members emphasized that nurses provide daily health services that especially support students from lower-income families who otherwise have limited health access.
No vote was recorded during the work session. Board members said the resolution would be presented for consideration at a future meeting and could be forwarded to TSBA for statewide advocacy if approved.
