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Nurses, parents urge Revere School Committee to preserve six health aides and half-time nurse amid budget cuts
Summary
School nurses and parents told the Revere School Committee that eliminating six health aide positions and a 0.5 nursing position would create safety risks, especially in single-nurse buildings that serve dozens of students daily.
School nurses, parents and school staff urged the Revere School Committee on May 20 to preserve six health aide positions and a half-time nursing position that the district may eliminate to close a budget gap.
The speakers said health aides — hired during the COVID-19 response — perform triage, basic care, translation and classroom flow tasks that allow nurses to manage medical emergencies, documentation and compliance work. “I am here tonight with my nursing colleagues to support the retaining of our health aide positions,” said Jessica Gagnon, identifying herself as a Garfield School nurse.
Nurses described high daily demand in single-nurse buildings. “I serve 657 students. Each day I manage a wide range of health needs ... I see an average of 40 plus students every single day,” said Isabel Catano, a Garfield Elementary nurse. She described simultaneous situations such as diabetic emergencies, vomiting and scheduled medication administration that can make a one-nurse office unsafe without aide support. Angela Ciccolo, introducing herself as a Revere High School staff member, said the district’s bilingual health aide, Nubia Figueroa, is often the first responder at Revere High and helps translate during emergencies.
Speakers said the health aides were trained during the COVID-19 pandemic to test and care for potentially infected students and staff and later expanded their responsibilities to clinic flow, screening and triage. “The presence of a skilled health aide in our nurse office is not a luxury. It is a necessity,” Ciccolo said.
Committee members did not make a decision on the positions at the May 20 meeting; they heard public comment and continued district budget discussions elsewhere on the agenda. The district’s budget shortfall and possible cuts were discussed in later agenda items and in a ways and means subcommittee report; no formal vote on the health-aide positions was recorded during public comment.
The committee heard multiple public testimonies urging retention of the six health aides and the 0.5 nursing position as a student-safety investment. The speakers requested that the committee prioritize student safety when finalizing budget reductions.
