5335 - CARE OF STUDENTS WITH CHRONIC HEALTH CONDITIONS

Students with chronic health conditions will be provided with a free, appropriate, public education. If their impairment does not require specially designed instruction for them to benefit educationally, they will be eligible for accommodations/modifications/interventions of the regular classroom, curriculum, or activity (i.e. the school setting) with every effort made to provide them with the same access to an education as students without disabilities. Such accommodations/modifications/interventions will be provided pursuant to a Section 504 Plan.

Chronic health conditions, for the purposes of this policy, shall include, but not be limited to:

1. "peanut" and other food allergies;
2. allergies;
3. asthma;
4. diabetes;
5. seizure disorder.

All information regarding student identification, health care management, and emergency care shall be safeguarded as personally identifiable information in accordance with Policy 8330 - Student Records and Policy 8350 - Confidentiality.

The District will coordinate school health practices for the management of a chronic health condition and shall provide for:

1. development of Individual Health Plans (IHP) and/or Emergency Action Plans (EAP) as appropriate;
2. coordination of health care management activities by school staff;
3. communication among school staff who interact with children with chronic health conditions.

School health practices shall provide students with chronic health conditions the opportunity for:

1. full participation in physical activities when students are well;
2. modified activities as indicated by the student's EAP, IHP, 504 plan, or Individualized Education Plan ("IEP");
3. access to preventative medications before activity (as prescribed by their medical providers) and immediate access to emergency medications during activity;
4. communication regarding student health status between parents, physicians, teachers (particularly physical education teachers), and coaches.

Healthcare management activities shall include:

1. procedures to obtain, maintain, and utilize written EAP and/or IHP, signed by the child's parents and physician, for each student with a chronic health condition;
2. a standard emergency protocol in place for students experiencing a distress reaction if they do not have a written EAP and/or IHP on-site;
3. procedures for students to have immediate access to medications, in accordance with Policy 5330 - Administration of Medication/Emergency Care that allow students to self-care and self-administer medications, inhalers, and epinephrine auto-injectors as prescribed by a medical professional and approved by parents/guardians;
4. prevention strategies to avoid causal elements;
5. case management for students with frequent school absences, school health office visits, emergency department visits, or hospitalizations due to chronic health conditions;
6. management and care of the student's chronic health condition in the classroom, in any area of the school or school grounds, or at any school-related activity or event.

Staff will be trained about chronic health conditions and their control in each school in which there is a student with a chronic health condition.

Designated staff who have responsibility for specialized services, such as giving inhaler treatments or injections or conducting glucose and/or ketone tests, shall be provided training specific to the procedures, at leastannually, by a licensed health professional.

The school nurseshall maintain a copy of the training program and the records of training completed by school employees.

T.C. 10/1/21
T.C. 7/29/22
T.C. 7/24/23

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