New Report Shows Small and Lower-Income Schools Lack Nurses

UNDATED (WJON News) -- A new report shows that many smaller and lower-income school districts in Minnesota don't have a school nurse.

A 2022 Snapshot report looked at 94% of public and charter schools in the state.

The report found in the 162 school districts where 40% or more of the students that qualified for free or reduced lunch, were three times less likely to have access to a licensed nurse or health services.

Some other key findings were that overall, less than half of Minnesota school districts employed a licensed nurse. Also, schools with more than 1,000 students are required to have a nurse employed but only one in four schools smaller than that has a nurse.

The Minnesota Department of Health says research shows there is a critical bridge between health and learning within the schools.

The Minnesota legislature has allocated $74-million for the next two school years to hire or increase the number of school counselors, social workers, and licensed nurses. That amount will more than double for the 2026 and 2027 biennium.