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Health staff urges board not to cut credentialed school nurses; district spokeswoman says LVNs are not equivalent
Summary
A District health clerk read a written statement from the district nurse at the East Whittier City School District board meeting saying planned reductions from three credentialed school nurses to one would reduce services that only certificated school nurses can legally perform under California Education Code.
At the East Whittier City School District board meeting, a health clerk urged trustees to reverse or reexamine a staffing plan that would reduce the number of credentialed school nurses (CSNs) from three to one.
Diamella Kerubina, a health clerk at Laurel Elementary, read a statement written by District Nurse Connie Lee describing services that, the statement said, can legally be performed only by credentialed school nurses under California Education Code. Kerubina told the board the health services team is “deeply concerned” about the proposed stabilization plan to replace CSNs with licensed vocational nurses (LVNs).
The statement listed duties it said only CSNs can perform: assessing students’ health needs and making referrals; reviewing physician orders, medications and procedures; creating and reviewing individual health care plans; participating on individualized education program (IEP) teams; supervising and training staff for specialized procedures (catheterizations, G-tube feedings) and seizure first aid; and conducting state-mandated public-health reporting and vision/hearing screenings. The statement said the district currently has nearly 500 medications that “only CSNs can review and sign off,” 109 individual health care plans, more than 305 pending IEP assessment requests (about 61 per month), and that staff have completed hearing and vision screenings for 3,533 students.
Kerubina read: “We were informed that there is no need to retain all three credentialed school nurses since we have LVNs, and there is no mandated minimum number of school nurses to staff. I would like to emphasize the crucial role that CSNs play in our district and provide a level of care and expertise that cannot be fully replicated by LVNs.”
Superintendent Dr. Patterson and other district staff were in the meeting but did not present a new staffing plan during public comment. Board members acknowledged the written concerns and did not take immediate action on the staffing item during the meeting. Members asked clarifying questions and staff indicated they would follow up on the topic as part of personnel and budget discussions.
Why this matters: Credentialed school nurses have duties specifically referenced in state education code and in special-education processes. Parents and special-education advocates often cite nurse staffing levels when assessing district capacity to support medically fragile students and those with individualized health plans.
The board did not vote on any nurse-staffing change at this meeting. The written statement from Connie Lee was entered into the record and Kerubina concluded by asking the board to consider the legal and practical difference between LVN and CSN responsibilities.
The board meeting continued after the public comment period with other agenda items.
