District personnel are prohibited from providing or administering medication to students except as authorized by doctors or other certified medical personnel. Parents/guardians, whenever possible, are asked to arrange medication time intervals to avoid school hours. Parents are permitted to come to school to administer medication to their student. The school will cooperate when parents place the responsibility for taking medicine with their student. When parents cannot come to school and students are too young to assume responsibility for taking medication, the school, insofar as the requirements listed, will cooperate in the dispensing of medication.

 

Written parental consent for the administration of medication to a student is required for each episode of illness, each medication order, and once every school year for a chronic condition. The signed, written statement authorizing action should include:

 

Medication to be taken during school hours must be delivered by a parent or other responsible adult directly to the school nurse, secretary, or principal. Students are not permitted to be in possession of medication. As such, medications should not be sent to school with students or placed in the student’s possession with directions to the school staff. 

 

All prescription medications must be accompanied by doctor’s orders. Non-prescription drugs will be given to students for a maximum of three days without a doctor’s order. If the health of the student may be impaired if the medication is forgotten or given early/late, parents should keep the student at home or be personally responsible for administering the medication at the prescribed times. Medication order and request forms are available on the District website on the Health Services page or may be obtained from the school nurse.

 

School employees who dispense medication keep a log in which the administration of any medication, student’s name, date and time the medication was administered, and quantity of medication given is recorded in ink. The administration of medication by school employees is limited to oral medications except in cases where the parents and primary medical care provider, through special orders, have authorized emergency injections or other modes of delivery as appropriate. Students may be permitted to carry and self-administer emergency medication with the written approval of the student’s primary care provider, parent and the certified school nurse.

 

The school’s role in this policy is one of cooperation with the parent, primary medical care provider, and student; however, the responsibility for the administration of medication taken at school is that of the parent and student. Inhalers and other emergency medications, including self-testing devices, may be carried by students if a primary medical care provider’s statement ordering such is provided to the school nurse or building principal.

The District has placed one or more Automatic External Defibrillators (AEDs) in each school. The AEDs provide emergency assistance in the case of unexpected cardiovascular distress and are located in positions readily accessible during potential crisis events. If you see someone in physical distress, please do not hesitate to contact emergency medical services, building administration, and use the AED if it is medically needed.

Students should be kept at home if they have a fever over 100 degrees Fahrenheit, a cold, rash, or suspected communicable diseases. Students are advised to remain at home until they have recovered and are fever free for 24 hours without fever reducing medication. Students presenting unusual symptoms or possible communicable illness may be excluded from school by the school nurse and an administrator. 

If this occurs, parents will be asked to secure medical services for the student and to provide a note from the student’s medical provider stating they may return to school. 

The District’s dental hygienist performs a role similar to the nurse in relation to the dental health of the student. Most of the hygienist’s duties are performed in a classroom setting where instruction on brushing and flossing teeth, nutrition, dental development, and other areas of good dental care are presented. The hygienist examines each student’s teeth during elementary and middle school and may refer students to a dentist or other specialist for further examination or treatment.

The state School Code makes provisions for compulsory physical examinations of public school students. The District is on a modified state program schedule which requires compulsory physical examinations to be completed in kindergarten, sixth grade, ninth grade, or upon original entry. Because of the District’s use of a modified health plan, physical examinations are made available to eligible students free of charge by the District’s physician and nurse practitioners. 

 

Parents usually prefer to have the mandatory physical examinations completed by their family practitioner. Forms are available from the school nurse for that purpose and can also be downloaded from the District website on the Health Services page. Additional information about compulsory physical examinations can be found in the Admission to School section and in Board Policy 209 available on the District website.

 

Vision screenings are conducted in kindergarten through second, fourth through sixth, and eighth through eleventh grade. Hearing screenings are conducted in kindergarten through third, seventh, and tenth grade. Physical problems discovered or suspected during a screening/examination are reported in writing to parents. It is important for the student’s welfare that all remedial health deficits are corrected by a family physician/specialist and that the referral form, completed by the provider, is returned to the school nurse. 

If a minor accident occurs during the school day, first aid will be administered by school staff. Parents will be notified in case of serious accidents or serious illness. If a parent wishes to be notified of any/all injuries which occur in school, they are asked to direct a written request to the principal each year. 

Students who become ill during the school day must report to the school nurse. While we will never keep a student from using their personal cell phone to contact a parent, please know that unless the nurse is the one sending the student home, that absence is unexcused. If students are ill, they should go see the nurse who will make the determination as to whether or not the student needs to go home that day and arrange pick up with the parent/guardian. Should the school be unable to reach a parent/guardian, the emergency contact person noted on the emergency contact sheet will be called. It is very important that the emergency contact sheet be kept up to date. 

 

Health services are provided to students by state licensed nurses. The school nurse is available to assess illness or injury which occurs during the school day. Matters pertaining to illnesses, suspicious rashes, and injuries which occurred at home, etc. will be referred to, and are often best handled by, the student’s health care provider. 

Duties of the school nurse include instruction for students and staff in such areas as hygiene, nutrition, physical development, various diseases, safety, and first aid procedures. Certified school nurses also create emergency health care plans and coordinate the care of those students with chronic health conditions. Nurses screen students registering for kindergarten and refer vision, hearing, or other physical problems to the appropriate specialists. 

The District is committed to protecting the health, safety and welfare of its students and school community. The impact of students’ mental health on their academic performance and the effect of mental health issues and suicide on students and their entire school community are significant. This policy supports federal, state, and local efforts to provide education on youth suicide awareness and prevention; maintain a safe school environment, establish methods of prevention, intervention, and response to suicide or suicide attempt; and to promote access to suicide awareness and prevention resources.

 

As a means of preventing suicide as well as identifying students in need of additional supports for mental health issues, the District may offer mental health screenings using a variety of online screening tools. Referrals, with parent/guardian consent, may be made to outside agencies based on results obtained. 

 

Parents will be notified in advance of screenings and provided with directions for opting out of this service. 

 

All District employees and contracted services, including but not limited to secretaries/aides, coaches, bus drivers, custodians/maintenance, and food services workers, receive information regarding risk factors, warning signs, response procedures, referrals, and resources regarding youth suicide prevention.