FILE:  JGCC

Cf:  GAMFA, JGCB

 

STUDENT COMMUNICABLE DISEASES

 

 

The Washington Parish School Board recognizes the importance of protecting the health and welfare of students, teachers, and other employees of the educational system from the spread of communicable diseases.  The provisions of this policy shall be reviewed and revised regularly to reflect current medical research and legal opinion.  The School Board will work cooperatively with the Louisiana Department of Education, the Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals, and the Center for Disease Control for the prevention, control and containment of communicable diseases in schools.  For purposes of this policy and its accompanying regulations, the term "superintendent" shall mean the Washington Parish Superintendent of Schools or the Superintendent's designee.

 

A communicable disease shall be defined as a persistent or recurring infection which may be potentially transmitted to a susceptible person by contact with an infected individual.

 

Students are expected to be in compliance with the required immunization schedule.  The building principal is required to exclude children from school attendance who are out of compliance with the immunizations required by state law.  School personnel shall cooperate with public health personnel in completing and coordinating all immunization data, waivers and exclusions, including the necessary Vaccine Preventable Disease Sections' School Immunization Report forms to provide for preventable communicable disease control.

 

The Superintendent may exclude a student from school for not more than five (5) days, or the amount of time required by state or local public health officials when reliable evidence or information from a public health officer or physician confirms him/her of having a communicable disease or infestation that is known to be spread by any form of casual contact and is considered a health threat to the school population.  Such student shall be excluded unless the health officer approves school attendance or the condition is no longer contagious.

 

When reliable evidence or information from a public health officer or physician confirms that a student has a communicable disease or infection that is known not to be spread by casual contact, the decision as to whether or not the student will remain in school shall be addressed on a case-by-case basis by a Review Panel to ensure due process.

 

If the student’s physician and/or a physician of the School Board's choice indicates that the health of the student does not allow his/her continued attendance in the regular education program, education services shall be provided in the setting appropriate to the health status of the child.

 

Students whose parent/guardian knowingly conceal their child's having a communicable disease shall, upon identification, be suspended from school on an excused absence status, with the opportunity to make-up assignments and graded activities, for a maximum of ten (10) school days, during which time the Superintendent shall determine the student's school attendance status.

 

Irrespective of the disease presence, routine procedures shall be used and adequate sanitation facilities shall be available for handling body fluids within the school setting or on school buses.  School personnel shall be trained in the proper procedures for handling body fluids and these procedures shall be strictly adhered to by school personnel (see policy GAMFB, Guidelines for Handling Body Fluids in School).

 

REVIEW PANEL

 

Communicable diseases that are known not to be spread by casual contact shall be addressed on a case-by-case basis by a Review Panel.  Membership of the Review Panel, procedures for convening the Review Panel, and the process used to review the case shall be as outlined in Health and Safety, Bulletin 135, Louisiana Department of Education.

 

The Superintendent shall provide a written decision to the affected party within three (3) operational days (i.e. a day when the School Board Central Office is open for business) after the Review Panel convenes.  The written decision shall convey information brought out during the review process and include the rationale for the decision concerning school attendance by the student.

 

APPEALS

 

Appeals may be made by the parent or guardian in writing to the Superintendent and subsequently to the School Board as outlined in Health and Safety, Bulletin 135, Louisiana Department of Education.  If the written decision of the Superintendent is contrary to the majority opinion of the Review Panel, a majority of the Review Panel has the right to appeal the decision in the same manner as outlined in Bulletin 135.

 

CONFIDENTIALITY

 

All persons involved in procedures to assess school attendance of a student with a communicable disease that is not spread by casual contact shall be required to treat all medical information about the student, proceedings, deliberations, and documents as confidential information.  Records of the proceedings and the decisions shall be kept by the Superintendent in a sealed envelope with access limited to only those persons receiving the consent of the parent/guardian or infected person, in accordance with state or federal law.

 

Before any medical information is shared with anyone in the school setting, a “Need to Know” review shall be made which includes the parent/legal guardian, student if age 18 or over, unless the information is required to meet the mandates of federal or state law or regulation, or Louisiana Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (BESE) policy.

 

LICE

 

A student, upon discovery of lice and/or nits (eggs) should be removed from the classroom immediately.

 

Procedure

 

Dismissal:

 

  1. Do not check student closely in classroom.  Verify in a private room and check brothers and sisters in school.

  2. Call parent and inform him/her of your findings, offer instructions, and reassure parent that a child is not considered dirty when found to have lice.  Precautions are taken at school to prevent spread to others.

  3. Be sure the parent is given a copy of the letter outlining instructions to be followed in head lice infestation.

 

Readmittance:

 

  1. The student will be excluded from school until he/she has been effectively treated and all nits (eggs) are removed from the hair.

  2. Adequate treatment and removal of all nits (eggs) can be achieved in one (1) to two (2) days.  After three (3) days, the child will be considered unexcused from school.  Any unexcused absence may be referred to the Supervisor for Child Welfare and Attendance.

  3. All students must be accompanied by his/her parent or guardian to see the principal before readmittance to school.

  4. Personnel at the school, as designated by the principal, shall be responsible for checking students to be sure that the hair is free from all nits before readmitting them back to school.

 

All cases should be handled on an individual basis like any other communicable disease and information given verbally to only those school personnel who should know.

 

A note should never be sent out to an entire class or school population on any communicable diseases in the school unless approved by the School Nurse or Superintendent.

 

If a parent calls to report he/she has discovered lice and/or nits, explain procedure for readmittance.  It would be best to have him/her pick up the lice instruction letter or at least send home with child when child returns to school.

 

The principal or his/her designee should be the only one dismissing or readmitting a student.  The less people involved the less chance of error and breakdown of parent confidence in school procedure to prevent spreading the condition.

 

School nurses will assist when possible in dismissal and readmittance of students or in the case of uncooperative parents.  School nurses will be conducting general health inspections of students periodically to encourage students to develop good health habits and prevent communicable diseases developing into large numbers.

 

Revised:  March, 1995

Recoded:  February, 2004

Revised:  November 12, 2015

 

 

Ref:    La. Rev. Stat. Ann. §§17:81, 17:170

Health and Safety, Bulletin 135, Louisiana Department of Education

Board minutes, 5-16-91, 1-12-95, 11-12-15

 

Washington Parish School Board