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Superintendent says nursing shortage has halted some Everett school field trips; parents raise concerns about screenings and DESE licensure
Summary
A parent and educator told the committee that Everett Public Schools lacks DESE-licensed school nurses and that vision/hearing screenings and field trips have been affected. Superintendent Hart described staffing arrangements with the city health department, current nurse counts, use of agency nurses, and barriers from licensing and wages.
A public commenter urged the Everett School Committee to prioritize staffing and licensure for school nurses after saying students are missing vision and hearing screenings and some field trips are being canceled.
"Children deserve access to basic health services like vision and hearing screenings to ensure they can learn without unnecessary barriers," said Jessica Goldboots, a multilingual teacher and Everett parent, during the public-comment period. Goldboots told the committee she understood Everett school nurses are hired by the city health department and therefore are not licensed through the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE), and she asked the committee to prioritize funding for school nurses so field trips and screenings can resume.
Superintendent Hart acknowledged the situation and described how nursing coverage is arranged in Everett. He said the city of Everett’s health…
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