Raises For North Adams School Nurses
The Berkshire Eagle reports North Adams public school system's nurses are getting a raise.
The School Committee agreed Monday on a new pay schedule for the four nurses at each of its four schools — a move that school officials say brings North Adams Public Schools in line with other districts in the area.
The School Committee also approved a $15,000 stipend — paid for with money from the district's reserve account — for a nurse leader position, which would be open to a current school nurse or an outside candidate willing to work about one-third of a regular full-time position.
The largest increase is for a nurse who earned $18,982 and will now earn $38,356 annually. The three other raises range from $10,549 to $16,206 annually.
The immediate impact of the new schedule is a total increase in salaries of $60,891, which can be absorbed into the current fiscal year's budget thanks to the reduction of a full-time health coordinator position to a part-time position.
The new salaries are comparable, on an hourly basis, to what the nurses would make outside the school system.
In the 2016 school year, the nurses in North Adams Public Schools had just fewer than 18,000 office visits — which includes wellness visits, medication administration and first aid. This past year, that figure rose to 22,000 visits.