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Parents urge action on nurse coverage, substitute shortages and basic supplies at Parker School
Summary
During public comment, several parents told the Hackensack Board of Education they are worried about nurse coverage at lunch, frequent split classes due to a shortage of substitutes, and a shortage of basic supplies such as white copier paper; trustees and staff pledged to investigate and follow up.
Several parents addressed the Hackensack Board of Education on Feb. 11 saying they are concerned about what they described as gaps in nurse coverage during the school day, a shortage of substitute teachers that has led at times to split classes, and a lack of basic supplies in some classrooms.
A resident who identified herself only as Donna told the board she is a registered nurse and urged consistent nurse coverage, particularly for young elementary students, and suggested the district consider recruiting parents as substitute teachers or volunteers to fill gaps. Amanda Green, who identified herself as the parent of two students at Nellie K. Parker, said both her children have severe food allergies and that the lack of a nurse during lunch is worrying; she described an incident at a school event where cookies containing nuts were served and said she was present to remove them.
Riza Mendoza, another parent, said her child returned from school reporting that the classroom lacked white copy paper and that an individual teacher said the school was not accepting parent donations — a claim the parent said surprised her given offers from families to help. Trustees and administrators responded on the record: one administrator said there was 'no freeze' and 'no shortage' districtwide and pledged to investigate why some classrooms reported missing supplies; the vice president raised concerns about liability and background checks if parents were to volunteer in classrooms.
Trustees encouraged parents to sign the attendance sheet so staff could follow up and pointed parents to resources posted on the district website. The board said it would investigate nurse coverage during lunch periods and return with more information.
Article provenance: Public comments and trustees' responses on nurse coverage, substitutes and supplies occur across the transcript beginning at SEG 101 with the first public commenter and continuing in subsequent public-comment segments through SEG 673 where trustees respond and promise follow-up.
Next steps: District staff to investigate nurse coverage and supply distribution; trustees directed administration to report back to the community.
