School Nurse Corps: Quality Care Districts Count On

For more than 20 years, ESD 113’s School Nurse Corps (SNC) has been the school health care backbone for communities across Grays Harbor, Lewis, Mason, Pacific, and Thurston counties. Today, the SNC serves 37 of the 44 districts in the region. 

Our regional SNC program is part of a statewide network located across all nine of Washington’s educational service districts. The SNC model provides funding for one day per week of nursing services in every district with fewer than 2,000 students, either through direct services or district reimbursement. 

Services are scheduled around student and school needs to maximize access across each region. Since our nurses can’t be at every school, every day, they train non-medical staff to safely administer medications to ensure students with health needs can learn safely. 

“Our districts have personal relationships with all of our nurses and their support directors,” says Lynn Nelson, Senior Director of Health Services and Student Support. “They call us first when they have any concerns.” 

When Nelson joined the SNC team, our program served only seven districts. In the two decades since, the program has grown to offer school nursing and migrant education health services to more than 27,000 students in our region each year. 

Rainier Superintendent Bryon Bahr says, “For small school districts funded at just 0.2 FTE for nursing services for the entire district, the School Nurse Corps fills a vital gap—providing direct care that keeps students healthy, safe, and ready to learn.”

The nurses manage hundreds of healthcare plans for students with chronic conditions like diabetes, asthma, and seizure disorders. Our migrant education case managers specialize in connecting families to resources, can translate medication information for parents whose first language isn’t English, and accompany families to specialist appointments if needed.

Ultimately, all families see benefits from these services. 

"Our school nurse offers a high level of support every day—responding to injuries, managing chronic conditions, supporting students with complex needs, and ensuring that our schools remain safe environments for learning.” Mary M. Knight Superintendent Matt Mallery said in a letter of support for School Nurse Corps. 

“The value of this service extends beyond emergency response; it strengthens student wellness, improves attendance, supports staff, and provides peace of mind to families.”

An Uncertain Future

When the State cut funding for SNC in 2025, ESD 113 maintained services for our districts using a small fund balance from fee-for-service activities like professional learning, community training, and health services coordination. 

“If state funding isn’t restored by 2027, we won’t be able to sustain key services throughout our region,” Nelson says. “Other ESDs that couldn’t backfill services with alternative funding streams were forced to cut services immediately.” 

Our nurses and case managers know our districts. They've built relationships over years, earning the trust of students, families, and school staff. Without restored state funding in 2026, ESD 113 will have to reduce this care, limiting hours, lowering reimbursements, or cutting specialized services. For small, rural schools that depend on SNC, these cuts would mean returning to inconsistent coverage and gaps in care that leave students and families without the support they need.