Three school nurses told the Flemington-Raritan Regional School District board that staffing shortages left some school health offices uncovered and created safety, legal and operational risks.

Noreen Bradley, who identified herself as a district school nurse, spoke on behalf of district nurses and said there had been multiple days without a nurse assigned to certain schools. Bradley cited specific gaps at Barley Sheaf on Sept. 10 and a continuing coverage gap beginning Sept. 18; she also described shortages at Daymar and Robert Hunter on specific dates. The nurses said the coverage gaps imperil state-mandated screenings (hearing and vision) and leave students with chronic medical needs vulnerable.

"Uncovered schools are unsafe schools," Bradley said, adding that the district faces a shortage of qualified school nurses and that substitutes are not a long-term solution. She said the district needs more full-time, dedicated nurses and that current staff are handling higher-acuity cases without relief.

The board thanked the nurses for raising concerns and said administrators — including the director of pupil personnel services and the business administrator — are working to expand the district’s substitute-nurse roster and to contract with nurse-staffing providers when needed. The board noted efforts to use staffing agencies and discussed training and onboarding challenges for substitute nurses.

The nurses urged that future staffing decisions include medical experts and the district physician. Bradley said state regulation (NJAC 6A:16-2.2) requires annual health screenings and that insufficient nursing staff threatens the district’s ability to comply.

Board members acknowledged staffing pressures across the district and said they would continue to work with administration to fill positions and build a more stable substitute pool.