Board approves nursing-services agreement as backup for substitute coverage

The Board of Education approved a school-staffing agreement with Pearl Care Search Group LLC (presented as the district's agency) to provide nursing services on request, effective May 8. Administration described the contract as a last-resort option ("plan C") to fill gaps when district nurses and district-approved substitute nurses are unavailable.

Board members asked whether the agency option would lead to higher long-term costs than hiring a full-time nurse or relying on district substitutes. Administration and nursing staff said a district-approved substitute nurse costs roughly $162 per day, while agency coverage can be substantially higher; modeling presented to the board showed that replacing two absent days per week with district subs would cost about $13,000 annually for an LPN but could reach roughly $33,000 if covered by an agency. For an RN, model figures ranged from a low of $13,000 with subs to about $44,000 using an agency, depending on usage.

Trustees also asked about safety and compliance. Administration confirmed the district will perform fingerprinting and background checks and that contracted nurses must follow students' IEPs and HIPAA/FERPA rules; onboarding will include verification of credentials and required clearances.

The board approved the staffing agreement by voice vote. Trustees said the district would continue onboarding substitute nurses to keep agency use minimal and monitor costs.