Cost Cutting Affects Government School Nurses

A special meeting was held last Monday night by Yuma Union High School District's Governing Board. The Officials gathered because they plan to lay-off school nurses. They are pertaining to those nurses who have been working in the region for almost 20 years. Swapping school nurses with secretaries trained in first aid is the alternative thought by the school board. According to Board officials, they have to cut costs because 85% of their budget goes to employees' salaries and benefits. But the school nurses defended that this choice might jeopardize student's lives and this will result to a possible complaint.

Gale Inman is a licensed practical nurse for 13 years at Yuma High School. She together with some colleagues attended the meeting. Inman said that the school officials decided to eliminate their nurses and they will only assign a Registered Nurse who will visit the school occasionally. Inman said that this decision will put the students' health at risk. They already knew the medical histories of their students and the means of treating them. They involved CPS or other health services for students who come in. But Superintendent Toni Badone said that the decision has nothing to do with nurses' quality of work. For now, nurses are secured because the board will reconsider them. Superintendent Badone foresees financial assistance from the government. Another meeting was happened last May 13.