The Trenton Public School District in New Jersey has made a significant investment in the health and well-being of its students by purchasing instrument-based screeners for its comprehensive vision screening program. “I would encourage schools to carve out the dollars to purchase an instrument-based screener like the Spot Vision Screener. You can screen more students faster, contributing to a productive learning environment,” says Micah Freeman, Supervisor of Nurses.
— Micah Freeman, Supervisor of Nurses, Trenton Public School District
The state of New Jersey requires public schools to conduct vision screenings for students in grades K, 2, 4, 6, 8 and 10. In the 2023- 2024 school year, the Trenton School District coordinated with the Vision to Learn program, a nonprofit that provides free eye screenings and glasses to students in low-income communities, to perform the required screenings. In 2024-2025, funding constraints led the district to search for alternative solutions. With grant funding, the Trenton School District purchased four Spot Vision Screeners, one for each ward within the district. The devices are shared, and nurses from each building sign them out for two-week periods.
The Spot Vision Screener was selected because staff had observed screeners from Vision to Learn using the device. The district’s nursing team was impressed with how quickly students could be screened and how easy it was to use the device. This strategic investment has enabled the district to provide timely and efficient vision screenings for its 16,000 students.
Not only do the instrument-based screeners provide a valuable service to students, but they also empower the nursing staff. “Purchasing the Spot Vision Screeners was an investment in our nursing staff. We knew it would make their jobs easier to complete,” says Freeman. The district recognized that the devices would make completing vision screenings faster and more efficient than with the traditional wall chart.
Freeman organized a professional development day where a representative from School Health, Baxter’s strategic distribution partner for Spot Vision Screener in the education/nonprofit market, came on site and performed hands-on training with the nursing staff. Nurses completed at least two screenings with the device to make sure they were comfortable using it. School Health returned a few months later to answer any additional questions and do refresher training as needed.
Leiry Sargenti, RN,
Trenton Public School District
— Micah Freeman, Supervisor of Nurses, Trenton Public School District
The device’s ease of use and speed has reduced the time required to complete screenings, allowing nurses to complete state-mandated screenings and still focus on other essential tasks. And because nurses always have access to an instrument-based screener, students who are identified by teachers or nurses with potential vision issues can be screened on-demand.
With the Spot Vision Screener, the Trenton School District’s vision screening program was also able to screen children with special needs, those who speak English as a second language, and children with attention span issues because it did not require students to identify letters, shapes or objects.
Tamia Law, RN,
Trenton Public School District
Teachers and nurses in the Trenton School District have observed notable improvements in students with vision issues who receive follow-up care, including enhanced reading capabilities and positive behavioral changes. Freeman’s goal is to continue adding devices to the district’s inventory so more Spot Vision Screeners are available at one time for nursing staff. “We consider these strategic purchases that allow us to meet state mandates, but more importantly help support overall academic success of our students, as vision loss is often tied to literacy and behavior issues in the classroom,” says Freeman.
“We praise our parents for following up with a referral to make sure kids who need vision correction get the treatment they need,” says Freeman. “When students come to school with their new glasses, our teachers and nurses feel like they’ve really helped make a difference in their lives.”
