Parent tells board special-needs student out of school since April; asks district to hire nurses

Sam Heidel, a member of the public, addressed the Berwick Area School District Board of Education during the meeting’s public-comment period, urging the district to hire more nurses and aides to support special-needs students.

Heidel said he was speaking on behalf of a student, Ivy Potter, who requires a nurse to attend school and has “been out of school since April” because there was no nursing staff available. “She does not really have home health aid to go to school with her,” Heidel said, adding that the student has missed a significant amount of school over several years and that the absences are harming her social interaction.

Heidel asked the district to “do something about this, hire more nurses to be in classrooms for special needs children, hire more aids.” A district representative asked whether Heidel could stay after the meeting to discuss the matter further.

The transcript records the public plea but contains no formal board directive or vote on additional nursing staff during this meeting. The request was recorded as public comment and referred for follow-up.