NJCC alert: NJ nonpublic schools deserve full-time nurses too

Nursing services in New Jersey nonpublic schools are not guaranteed, thanks to budgetary language, lack of available candidates and underfunding. To that end, an Action Alert has been issued by the New Jersey Catholic Conference, the public policy arm of the bishops of New Jersey, to encourage concerned residents to advocate for increased funding.

“We are asking for a $20 per-pupil increase to $150,” said Dr. George V. Corwell, director of the NJCC Office of Education. “This increase will go a long way to help us reach our ultimate goal to have a full-time nurse in every school.” 

Gov. Phil Murphy is scheduled to give his FY 2026 Budget Address on Feb. 25. The NJCC hopes through its Action Alert to give parents an opportunity to voice their desire to have a full-time, state-funded nurse in every school, including New Jersey Catholic schools.  

The current per-pupil allotment of $130 has not kept up with additional legislative requirements of school nurses, say NJCC representatives. These requirements – administration of certain medications and a nurse’s role as a first responder in school emergencies – have made it “increasingly difficult for nursing services providers to find candidates for these positions, with the result that a portion of the allocation gets returned to the state,” the NJCC Action Alert notes.

The additional $20 per pupil would help cover the increased cost of nurses’ salaries and equipment – a contributing factor to the shortage of available candidates because providers are unable to pay enough at the current amount. In contrast, public schools receive a combination of state funding which permits the presence of a nurse in the public school building during the time that school is in session.

For more information see HERE.