Rutherford County board highlights school nursing workload, urges state funding
June 05, 2026 | Rutherford County, Tennessee
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The Rutherford County Board of Education on Tuesday recognized student lifesaving efforts, reviewed district nursing data and voted to ask the Tennessee General Assembly to fund more school nurses.
Dr. Groom, who identified herself as a national director for the National Association of School Nurses in Tennessee, presented a year-over-year report showing an 11% increase in scheduled nursing appointments and “over 122,000 scheduled appointments” districtwide. She said oral-medication encounters topped 42,000 and reported 662 student code-blue events and 254 EMS calls for the school year. Dr. Groom added that 29 of the state’s 64 nationally certified school nurses work in Rutherford County.
“We received over $200,000 in reimbursement,” Dr. Groom said of Medicaid billing, and she explained that the district realized roughly $174,111.50 in revenue after administrative fees from the vendor. Board members praised the nursing staff and asked whether reimbursements could be redirected to reward or retain nurses; Dr. Sullivan said the reimbursements currently go into general revenue but could be used for that purpose if the board chooses.
The board then considered and unanimously approved a resolution urging state lawmakers to appropriate sufficient funding — either through the Tennessee Investment in Student Achievement (TISA) formula or another mechanism — to ensure districts can staff an adequate number of licensed school nurses. The resolution cites Tennessee Code Annotated 49-3-359, which requires local education directors to report when their district does not employ at least one school nurse per 750 students.
Board members and Dr. Groom emphasized the local impact of nurse staffing: members noted school nurses’ role in managing chronic conditions, triage and emergency care and flagged the district’s relatively high share of the state’s certified nurses as a point of strength. The board also discussed a prior state bill to fund school nurses that passed the legislature but was not funded in the final budget, and members said they will work with TSBA and local legislators to advocate for funding.
The resolution’s approval is a procedural step to send the district’s position to the legislature and to TSBA for potential lobbying; it does not itself allocate local funds. The board scheduled related budget and policy items for upcoming meetings, including salary-schedule discussions in June.
Dr. Groom, who identified herself as a national director for the National Association of School Nurses in Tennessee, presented a year-over-year report showing an 11% increase in scheduled nursing appointments and “over 122,000 scheduled appointments” districtwide. She said oral-medication encounters topped 42,000 and reported 662 student code-blue events and 254 EMS calls for the school year. Dr. Groom added that 29 of the state’s 64 nationally certified school nurses work in Rutherford County.
“We received over $200,000 in reimbursement,” Dr. Groom said of Medicaid billing, and she explained that the district realized roughly $174,111.50 in revenue after administrative fees from the vendor. Board members praised the nursing staff and asked whether reimbursements could be redirected to reward or retain nurses; Dr. Sullivan said the reimbursements currently go into general revenue but could be used for that purpose if the board chooses.
The board then considered and unanimously approved a resolution urging state lawmakers to appropriate sufficient funding — either through the Tennessee Investment in Student Achievement (TISA) formula or another mechanism — to ensure districts can staff an adequate number of licensed school nurses. The resolution cites Tennessee Code Annotated 49-3-359, which requires local education directors to report when their district does not employ at least one school nurse per 750 students.
Board members and Dr. Groom emphasized the local impact of nurse staffing: members noted school nurses’ role in managing chronic conditions, triage and emergency care and flagged the district’s relatively high share of the state’s certified nurses as a point of strength. The board also discussed a prior state bill to fund school nurses that passed the legislature but was not funded in the final budget, and members said they will work with TSBA and local legislators to advocate for funding.
The resolution’s approval is a procedural step to send the district’s position to the legislature and to TSBA for potential lobbying; it does not itself allocate local funds. The board scheduled related budget and policy items for upcoming meetings, including salary-schedule discussions in June.
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