Nurses, parents and unions press Washington Township board to clarify cuts to health-assistant hours and contracted behavioral services

The Washington Township School District heard emotional public comment from nurses, parents and union leaders on May 26 over planned reductions to health-assistant hours and ongoing use of outside behavioral contractors.

"We respectfully ask the board to reconsider these changes due to the impact this will have on student safety," said Mary Kate, speaking for district school nurses and health assistants, noting that students now present with complex medical and mental-health needs including g-tube feedings, tracheostomy care and insulin pumps. "Without the health-assistance support, nurses must perform these high-stakes procedures while simultaneously managing the general student population."

Parents and staff described how the proposed reduction to a single 3.5-hour health-assistant shift in each building (with two at the high school) could leave nurses covering multiple urgent situations. "A a literal minute can save a kid's life," said parent Nicole Lanudi, recounting having three children with complex medical needs and urging the board to find alternatives.

Union and support-staff leaders said negotiations and attrition mitigated some layoffs but warned reductions and hour cuts will still affect day-to-day operations. "We retained health assistance in every school ensuring one 3.5-hour position in each building, with the high school having an assistant in both 9–10 and 11–12," said Chrissy Cozart of the Washington Township support staff, while urging vigilance about how reduced hours will affect care.

Superintendent Dr. Hibbs acknowledged the difficulty of the choices and said the district had worked to avoid eliminating people where possible. "It's about a $120,000, you know, in the difference," he said when asked about savings tied to the changes, adding that some positions were preserved through attrition, voluntary transfers and careful staffing decisions.

Board members and administrators promised follow-up: they said they would produce more detailed lists of certificated and support staff nonrenewals (the board indicated the number of certificated nonrenewals was "10 or less" and similar for support staff) and meet with nurses to design coverage options. Administration also proposed exploring substitute or scheduling options to mitigate the capacity loss and said the issue will continue to be discussed in Instructional Affairs and personnel committees.

Commenters also raised broader questions about the district’s use of outside behavioral contractors, including DeNovi and Interactive Kids. Several public speakers and board members urged a cost-benefit analysis and consideration of training district employees as registered behavioral technicians (RBTs) or hiring board-certified behavior analysts (BCBAs) in-house. Dr. Hibbs said the district has discussed the long-term goal of building internal capacity but that converting staff or hiring specialists is "not as simple as flipping a light switch" and requires planning, certification, and resources.

The board approved routine human-resources and finance items during the meeting; administrators said they would share detailed staffing lists and continue committee-level work on special-education contracting and ESY scheduling. The Instructional Affairs committee will follow up on DeNovi and RBT training options and report back in the coming month.

Next steps: the administration will provide the requested list of affected positions, meet with nursing staff to clarify coverage and scheduling, and continue committee discussions about in-house behavioral services and potential training pathways.