The district lost 14 nursing positions after the New Hanover County Board of Commissioners’ budget cuts this year. The proposed budget was finalized the evening before the commissioners voted on it — Republicans Dane Scalise, Bill Rivenbark, and LeAnn Pierce voted in favor, Democrats Rob Zapple and Stephanie Walker did not.
NHC school board member Pat Bradford and Superintendent Dr. Christopher Barnes have previously criticized the county’s sudden cuts to nursing staff and preschool classrooms, something they didn’t see coming for this budget season.
According to plans unveiled by New Hanover County, whose Health and Human Services department oversees the district’s nurses, NHCS will have one school health manager, three supervisors, and a total of 34 nurses.
The county health department has frozen some of these school nurse positions, including one supervisor, nine 40-hour positions, one 32-hour position, and three part-time positions. According to the county, those positions, and staffing levels “across all county agencies and departments" have been adjusted to "align with this year’s adopted budget,” meaning unless the county commissioners amend the budget, the positions will remain frozen until at least July 1, 2026, when the next fiscal year spending plan is adopted.
Alex Riley, communications coordinator for New Hanover County, shared a statement from Jon Campbell, the county’s health director, which read in part, “Nurse assignments in the shared model were based on historical student acuity (medications, emergency action plans, chronic conditions, etc.) and geographic proximity of schools. The model was developed with NHCS to ensure agreement.”
According to emails acquired by WHQR through the county email terminal, Jocelyn Graham, the school health manager with the county’s health department, discussed the draft health structure and nurse assignment plan in early July with Assistant Superintendent of Student Services Julie Varnam and the Director of Student Support Services Lisa Brenner. WHQR asked for this plan in mid-July — and didn’t receive it until this week.
Notably, the assignment allocation splits nurse coverage between schools that are historically under-enrolled, some of which are also lower-performing schools.
Campbell’s statement continued, “Coverage will be continuously reassessed, acknowledging as students enter or exit the district, needs of the school may change. If a nurse is out, we have coverage plans so another nurse can respond. Additionally, we are supporting NHCS through delegation, by providing the appropriate training, support, etc. We will communicate with NHCS and County staff regarding the effectiveness of the shared model.”
WHQR requested an interview to discuss follow-up questions about how the plan was put together, what contingencies are in place if nurses are out sick, and what the impact on high-need, low-performing schools will be. It wasn’t granted.
For this year, the elementary schools that have a full-time nurse are Alderman, Bradley, Blair, Creek, Codington, Castle Hayne, College Park, Eaton, Masonboro, Ogden, Murrayville, and Sunset Park. For middle schools, it’s Holly Shelter, Myrtle Grove, Noble, Roland-Grise, and Trask. For high schools, it’s Hoggard, Laney, and New Hanover.
County’s site on school-based nurses
[Disclosure Notice: While Commissioner Rob Zapple serves on the WHQR Board of Directors, he doesn’t make editorial decisions.]
