School Nurse Funding Should be Maintained in Delaware

Delaware State News: March 25, 2010
Community News: April 1, 2010

As we face Delaware’s continuing budget crisis, we must make educated decisions on budget cuts in order to preserve important public programs. We are concerned by the plan to reduce or eliminate funding for school nurses for Delaware’s non-public schools.

Delaware is one of a few states that backs its mandate requiring nurses in all schools, public and private, with funding. Having nurses present in schools to dispense medicine for children faced with acute and chronic diseases, including diabetes, asthma and cancer, is smart public health policy. The presence of these health professionals is important for the well-being of our children.

Non-public school parents pay school taxes and are entitled to this basic service that is afforded to the children of public school parents. Further cuts in school nurse funding for non-public schools can drive families to transfer their children into public schools, adding a significant cost to our state’s educational system.

We believe that state school nurse funding for private and parochial schools should be maintained at its current levels for the health and safety of our children. This is smart public policy and is simply the right thing to do.

Patricia M. Blevins
Senate Majority Leader
7th District

Michael S. Katz
Senator, 4th District

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