The Selma City School Board work session Tuesday had several parents in the crowd in heated discussion between themselves and the board members about one topic in particular — the safety of their children. Some questions came from the floor from concerned citizens about the amount of full-time nurses on staff at the schools.

One parent spoke to the board about the amount of children with diabetes, how much medication and attention they require and then how small of a time frame there is for their diabetic child to go into a coma. Another spoke about the rising numbers of HIV and AIDS in high schools and how nurses could be used as a preventative tool for health in the students.

Superintendent Gerald Shirley said his school system has more than the required amount of nurses. By code, schools are required to have one nurse per every 500 students. He also said the school system is given funding for only one registered nurse.

The discussion concluded with Hicks appointing a committee to come together and plan an efficient amount of nurses for both the safety of the students as well as the school budget. The committee will include the superintendant, the financial department and the head nurse.

Hicks said he is not sure what the committee will come up with; he said it might not be what parents want to hear.

“They may come up with less than seven nurses, they may be able to find eight — I don’t know,” Hicks said. “But whatever is done, we will have fulfilled our obligation as a board to look through all of the avenues to look at what we have to do and how we are going to do it in the most effective way to service our constituents and children.”