Not every school has a nurse, and the biggest one shares

What happened

Two school nurses told the board on May 18, 2026 that Collingswood has not had a nurse in every building since the 2023-24 school year, that the vacancy at William P. Tatem Elementary would not be filled and that the Garfield nurse post had gone, and that they are pulled between buildings because there are not enough substitute nurses. One described her daily medication rounds and pupils in her care with diabetes, a feeding tube and refractory epilepsy. In September, after the school year started, a district employee who is also a Tatem parent told the board the school now has a nurse about two and a half days a week and that the principal often fills in, and asked who is forecasting this. Another parent said the same night that the largest elementary school having a nurse only part of the week is less than it had before. The district hired one nurse in September, for Thomas Sharp.

Why it matters to families

A school nurse is who decides whether a child who is bleeding, vomiting or suddenly unwell needs an ambulance. One nurse told the board about a pupil whose vague symptoms turned out to be a heart rate in the 230s, who was sent to hospital and had heart surgery. The district's own referendum material lists school nurses among the things state law does not require, which is why the post is a budget target. In 2021-22, the last year with a published figure, Collingswood had 279 pupils per nurse. No board member answered either set of speakers on the record.

The evidence

The May 18, 2026 meeting recording contains both nurses' statements, including that there has been no nurse in every building since 2023-24, that the Tatem vacancy would not be filled and the Garfield post had gone, the year-to-date visit counts by school and the account of the pupil with a heart rate in the 230s. The September 28, 2026 recording contains the Tatem parent's statement that the school has a nurse two and a half days a week and that the principal often fills in, and a second parent's statement on the same point. The same recording records the September personnel list including a nurse for Sharp. The referendum overview lists school nurses among expenditures state law does not mandate.

The source