BILL ANALYSIS
ACR 99
Page 1
CONCURRENCE IN SENATE AMENDMENTS
ACR 99 (Swanson)
As Amended July 1, 2008
Majority vote
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|ASSEMBLY: |45-30|(April 14, |SENATE: |23-12|(July 2, 2008) |
| | |2008) | | | |
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Original Committee Reference: ED.
SUMMARY : Urges school districts to take the steps necessary to
increase school nurse salaries.
The Senate amendments delete the provision urging school
districts to increase school nurse salaries to a level
comparable of salaries of nurses employed by hospitals and
clinics.
EXISTING LAW declares that:
1)It is the intent of the Legislature that the governing board
of each school district and county superintendent of schools
maintain fundamental school health services at a level that is
adequate to:
a) Preserve pupils' ability to learn;
b) Fulfill existing state requirements and policies
regarding pupils' health; and,
c) Contain health care costs through preventive programs
and education.
2)The provision of these services may be in jeopardy due to the
current caseloads in the public schools, and that failure to
maintain adequate health services will result in pupils'
poorer health and ability to learn.
AS PASSED BY THE ASSEMBLY , this resolution was substantively
similar to the version approved by the Senate.
FISCAL EFFECT : This resolution is keyed non-fiscal.
ACR 99
Page 2
COMMENTS : There has been a long standing shortage of school
nurses in California. According to Children Now and the "2008
California Report Card on the State of the State's Children,"
the shortage of school nurses in California has produced a
student to nurse ratio of 4000:1, whereas the federal standard
is one school nurse per 750 students. The report also notes
that in 15 California counties, there are no school nurses at
all.
According to the sponsor, there was, and continues to be, a rise
in chronic and acute illness in students, a rise in number of
special needs students, and a rise in need for school nurses to
supervise the provision of their care or to actually provide it.
At the same time, there is a general nursing shortage. Nurses
are paid more in acute care setting than they are in schools.
Caseloads are atrocious in schools, school nurses are stressed,
overworked, underpaid, and there is no job security, a school
nurse cannot be tenured, could be laid off at any time, and is
usually the first to be cut in school district budgets. School
nurses are leaving for retirement. It is difficult to recruit
for the position of a school nurse when the potential applicant
pool is forced to take a pay cut for the job. According to the
author, school nurses are paid a salary of approximately $20,000
less than nurses employed by hospitals or clinics.
According to the author, with over 1,000 school districts,
located in many disparate areas in the state, there are
districts that have great difficulty attracting school nurses.
This resolution seeks to encourage and empower school districts
to look into alternatives to putting the school nurse on the
same salary schedule as the other certificated staff in a school
district, if it will aid them in obtaining the services of a
school nurse.
According to the Commission on Teacher Credentialing, on
average, 225 School Nurse credentials were granted annually
between 2001-02 and 2005-06. As seen in the table below,
however, the number decreased 35% between 2001-02 and 2003-04
(272 to 176, respectively) and then increased 39% between
2003-04 and 2005-06 to 245. Despite the increase over the past
two years, the numbers have not reached the 2001-02 level and
overall show a declining trend of about 10%.
Number of Credentials Issued for School Nurses
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| |2001-02 |2002-03 |2003-04 |2004-05 |2005-06 | 5-year |
| | | | | | | change |
| | | | | | | (%) |
|--------+--------+--------+--------+--------+--------+--------|
| Totals | 272 | 222 | 176 | 214 | 245 |-9.9% |
| | | | | | | |
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Source: Commission on Teacher Credentialing.
Analysis Prepared by : Chelsea Kelley / ED. / (916) 319-2087
FN: 0005805