Jennifer Serreis Savoier, speaking as a parent and advocate during the public comment period, urged the Board of Education to reclassify and raise compensation for the district's licensed school nurses so their pay and titles reflect their medical training and responsibilities.
Serreis Savoier said she has had four children go through the district, with one currently at Roosevelt Elementary and two children living with chronic illnesses, including juvenile diabetes. She told the board that the district's school nurses have been essential to her children's safety and daily care in school.
"These nurses are licensed medical professionals who have completed years of education," Serreis Savoier said. "They are first responders, and they serve ... and respond to emergencies. They are crisis managers and in addition, they are lifelines for students and for families like mine." She urged the district to follow the example of the Rock Island School District, which she said has changed how it classifies and compensates nurses.
Serreis Savoier asked the board to ensure that pay, job titles and district investment "reflect the true scope of their expertise and responsibilities." She said current classification and pay practices treat some licensed nurses as if they were paraprofessionals and called that "disrespectful."
The board did not take immediate action during public comment; the speaker asked the board to consider the issue in future staffing and compensation decisions.