Not the time to be without medical support : School nurse shortage raises concerns in New Haven
Brian Zahn
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New Haven Public Health Director Maritza BondChristian Abraham / Hearst Connecticut Media file
NEW HAVEN When the city opened its high schools earlier this month, it came with a promise from school district leadership that there would be enough nurses for every school.
However, on the day high schools opened, teachers reported that some schools did not have nurses stationed there.
“It’s a significant concern,” said Nijija-Ife Waters, president of the City Wide Parent Team. “Who is responsible for medical care for these students? I do not understand why the district (and Board of Education) has not made this a priority.”
The city told NBC Connecticut that there are eight nurse vacancies to be filled but that all schools are currently staffed with at least one nurse. There is at least one school nurse assigned to every hybrid school that is open at this time, Bond said.
Darnell Goldson, a board of education member, said although that s the city goal, it has yet to be achieved. Goldson emphasized that the board made it clear that in order for schools to reopen safely that every school needed a nurse. But according to him, after a meeting held with the superintendent earlier this week that is not the case.
Published January 20. 2021 12:01AM
NEW HAVEN (AP) Students on Tuesday attended school in-person for the first time since March in New Haven, a district that until now has resisted calls to bring children back as it worked to address safety concerns.
While many other districts around the state reopened classrooms, as encouraged by Gov. Ned Lamont, New Haven schools continued to stick with distance learning through the fall. The 21,000-student district delayed a November reopening because of the rising numbers of coronavirus infections.
For now, only students in pre-kindergarten through the fifth grade have the option of going back to classrooms under the district s hybrid learning plan. Parents who have seen children deal with the challenges of remote learning were happy to see them attend in person.
Students on Tuesday attended school in person for the first time since March 2020 in New Haven, Connecticut, a district that until now has resisted calls to bring children back as it worked to address safety concerns.