Higley district creating plan to keep RNs

Parents' objections have prompted Higley Unified School District in Gilbert to come up with a new budget plan to keep registered nurses on staff without handing out pink slips.

Associate Superintendent Denise Birdwell told the governing board last Thursday that she and the Human Resources staff had a new strategy to keep the district's five RNs and support training for them. However, they're still firming up details.

The announcement was a 180-degree turn from May, when district leaders appeared ready to follow the footsteps of nearby Mesa Public Schools as it considered cutting RNs.

Arizona schools can make such a cut because the state does not require school districts to have nurses on staff.

Higley administrators then forewarned the district's five RNs that their contracts might not be renewed due to a smaller-than-expected budget - and an effort to increase teacher pay.

HUSD officials worried about retention, and mulled a plan that would require $1.3 million to $2 million to boost teacher salaries, but also cuts in support staff - such as nurses.

Officials discussed this just as parents were calling for leaders' resignations in May. The parents blamed leaders for the loss of staff and administrators.

Afterward, officials came up with the idea of reducing nursing staff, mostly through attrition, to divert the savings to teacher salaries.

No one was fired. Still, rumors spun that pink slips had been delivered. Concerned parents showed up at governing board meetings and sent letters and e-mails expressing concern for their children's safety and care.

Since then, Birdwell said she has spoken with representatives of the School Nurses Organization of Arizona, which suggests an ideal ratio of RNs per student is 1 for every 750 kids.

Higley has about 9,000 kids and just five nurses - seven short of the recommendation.

It used to have nine nurses, but four resigned during the school year - most likely to find a better paying position at a hospital or clinic, Birdwell has said.

Gilbert Public Schools has 39,000 students but still meets or exceeds the state group's recommendation by assigning a nurse to every school, officials said. Some health aides help nurses handling the largest demand to fill out paperwork.

Even though Higley is smaller, school nurses there have reported high demand. They've said that at one school they've averaged 90 students a day for various ailments and routine care for diseases such as asthma and diabetes. During an outbreak like flu season, more than 100 students visit a Higley nurse's office.

HUSD administrators Catherine Cisar and Cathey Mayes have released a new proposal for assigning nurses and health staff in Higley's nine schools. These ideas are based on conversations they've had with the staff.

Cisar noted that the health staff is particularly concerned about hearing and vision care and screenings for children.

Those services require a lot of time and attention, so the district could provide these by working with a local clinic or organization, Cisar said.

The administrators have recommended a $2,000 stipend to nurses and $1,000 stipend for health assistants to cover membership dues to a health professionals group, such as the School Nurses Organization of Arizona, or for registering for such a group's annual conference for training.

HUSD officials said they're still working on a plan to boost teacher pay. The district budget is to be approved July 15 at a special meeting.