NJCC Alert: NJ nonpublic schools deserve full-time nurses too

Nursing services in New Jersey nonpublic schools are not guaranteed, thanks to budgetary language, lack of available candidates and underfunding. To that end, an Action Alert has been issued by the New Jersey Catholic Conference, the public policy arm of the bishops of New Jersey, to encourage concerned residents to advocate for increased funding.

“We are asking for a $20 per-pupil increase to $150,” said Dr. George V. Corwell, director of the NJCC Office of Education. “This increase will go a long way to help us reach our ultimate goal to have a full-time nurse in every school.”  

Gov. Phil Murphy is scheduled to give his FY 2026 Budget Address on Feb. 25. The NJCC hopes through its Action Alert to give parents an opportunity to voice their desire to have a full-time, state-funded nurse in every school, including New Jersey Catholic schools. Parents are also encouraged to attend the state legislature’s budgetary hearings between now and May, before the budget is approved in June.

The current per-pupil allotment of $130 has not kept up with additional legislative requirements of school nurses, say NJCC representatives. These requirements – administration of certain medications and a nurse’s role as a first responder in school emergencies – have made it “increasingly difficult for nursing services providers to find candidates for these positions, with the result that a portion of the allocation gets returned to the state,” the NJCC Action Alert notes.

The additional $20 per pupil would help cover the increased cost of nurses’ salaries and equipment – a contributing factor to the shortage of available candidates because providers are unable to pay enough at the current amount. In contrast, public schools receive a combination of state funding which permits the presence of a nurse in the public school building during the time that school is in session.

“Our efforts to extend the amount available for nursing services is also hampered by the Department of Education’s requirement that an RN (registered nurse) be used,” the NJCC’s talking points explain, “when the duties for nonpublic nurses … indicates that the presence of an LPN (licensed practical nurse) would be sufficient. There is a significant difference between the hourly rate charged by providers for an RN as opposed to an LPN.”

For the first time in the state’s 2024 budget, Murphy set aside $10.8 billion to fully fund the School Funding Reform Act, which gives underfunded districts financial support on top of local taxes – an $832 million increase from the prior year. The budget also included $109 million for the state’s universal pre-K program. NJCC representatives believe “that this effort represents an important point that should be stressed when making the appropriate ‘ask’ for nonpublic schools” when it comes to nursing services.

To contact Gov. Murphy about increasing the nursing budget, visit NJCatholic.org and click on Take Action Now, or call 609-292-6000.

EmmaLee Italia is a contributing editor for The Monitor, Diocese of Trenton.