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Bayonne school nurses press board for higher pay and cite severe retention problems
Summary
Several school nurses told the board the district is understaffed and that pay and contract terms fail to recognize extensive clinical experience; speakers reported turnover, interrupted prep/lunch time, and duties beyond teacher roles.
Multiple Bayonne school nurses used the public-comment period on Feb. 25 to urge the Board of Education to revise compensation and staffing practices, saying clinical experience is not being recognized and retention is worsening.
Stephanie Luchi, a school nurse at Midtown Community School, described duties ranging from managing diabetes and seizures to emergency response and documenting every student visit. “We deserve to be compensated for the years of prior experience we have in the field of nursing,” Luchi said, adding that nurses are often compared to starting teachers for pay despite different responsibilities.
Kathleen Gistler told the board the nursing department consists of 20 nurses and that 19 left the district in the past seven years; she said only five of those were retirements and four resignations occurred since October 2024. Gistler criticized recent contract outcomes and said nurses’ small numbers mean their bargaining power is limited compared with teachers.
Other nurses (Sharon Conway, Britney Scuppion) described interrupted prep or lunch time, responsibility for medication administration and emergency procedures, and the need for compensatory protections similar to what teachers receive.
Why it matters: Nurses argued that understaffing and pay practices threaten continuity of student medical care, increase workloads for remaining nurses and heighten the risk of missed or delayed care during emergencies. Union negotiators present said bargaining teams negotiated in good faith and asked for continued cooperation.
What’s next: The issue was raised publicly; board members did not vote on contract changes at the meeting. Negotiation details and formal proposals remain subject to bargaining between the district and union representatives.
