Communicable Diseases: JLCC-R

The district procedures on Communicable Diseases - Students shall be the responsibility of the superintendent and these procedures shall be administered by the Executive Director of Student Achievement.

Because of the variety of communicable diseases and their consequences, the procedures shall be administered as follows:

Category I. Communicable Diseases (acute or short term)

This category includes, but is not limited to, chicken pox, impetigo, strep throat, and scarlet fever. These and similar cases shall be addressed on an individual basis depending upon the situation in the particular school and/or classroom. The child may be temporarily excluded from school if the illness poses a threat to the health of others. Parents shall be notified of the conditions under which the child will be readmitted to school. These conditions will generally include advice from the child's physician and/or Colorado State Health Department Guidelines.

Category II. Communicable Diseases (chronic and potential life-threatening)

This category includes, but is not limited to, the following:

• Herpes Simplex Virus
• Hepatitis B
• Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) Virus Carrier
• AIDS Related Complex (ARC)
• Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS)

Identification of Students

Any student with a Category II communicable disease generally will be identified by the school district when the district receives direct information from the student, his parents/guardian, or his physician about his medical diagnosis.

All information will be reported to the Executive Director of Student Services who will be the school official responsible for coordinating the procedures for students under Category II.

If it is suspect that the medical condition limits the student's ability to receive reasonable benefit from ordinary education, the procedures for referral to special education will be initiated. These procedures will follow the local Comprehensive Plan for Special Education in accordance with Exceptional Children's Education Act and PL 94-142.

If the medical condition does not limit the student's ability to receive reasonable benefit from ordinary education, the student and parents will be afforded procedural safeguards in accordance with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. These procedural safeguards will include:

1. Notice to the parents or guardian of their rights under the legal statutes.
2. An opportunity for the parents or guardian to examine relevant records of the student.
3. An appeal procedure involving an impartial hearing with opportunity for participation by the parents, guardian or representation by counsel.
4. A review procedure.

Determining Degree of Risk

Upon receipt of information that a student has a Category II communicable disease, the Executive Director of Student Services shall convene an advisory panel of professionals consisting of representatives from the medical community, the student's physician, and appropriate school officials. The parent, student, and/or their representative will have opportunity to participate.

The Advisory Panel will review the student's medical condition and advise to the superintendent the degree of risk present in transmitting the virus to others, as well as to the student's safety in the school setting. Decisions made in this regard will be based on the behavior, neurologic development, physical condition, and the student's expected type of interaction with others. In each case, risks and benefits to both the infected student and to others in the school setting will be weighed. If the student is being considered under special education procedures, the Advisory Panel will be used during the assessment and staffing process.

School District Action for Non-Handicapped Students

The Executive Director of Student Services will present the Advisory Panel's recommendation to the superintendent for review and decision as to the educational placement. The superintendent will inform the student or parent/guardian in writing of the student's educational placement and any limitations thereon.

The student or parent/guardian may appeal the superintendent's decision in which case the Board of Education will hear the appeal in an executive session within 15 days of the hearing request. The parent/guardian may also request an impartial hearing on the decision. The impartial hearing procedures that will be used will duplicate the process employed for handicapped students. Once the placement decision has been made the Executive Director of Student Services will work with the principal to implement the decision.

A review of the educational placement and degree of risk will be made at least annually or upon request of the parent/guardian. At this review reconsideration of reasonable benefit for possible referral to special education will be made.

Neither this administrative procedure nor the placement of a student in any particular program including homebound instruction, shall preclude the school district administration from taking any temporary actions, including removal from the classroom, as deemed necessary to protect the health, safety, and welfare of the student and others.

Confidentiality

School district personnel shall respect the right of privacy and the need for confidentiality of a student having a communicable disease. The number of personnel who are aware of the child's condition should be kept at a minimum needed to ensure proper care of the child. Those persons should be provided with appropriate information concerning such precautions as may be necessary and should be aware of the confidentiality requirements.

The determination of which persons have such need shall be made by the Executive Director of Student Services and Superintendent.

Where a determination of such need is made, notification shall be accomplished through direct written contact from the Executive Director of Student Services. The notification shall be made in such a way as to maximally ensure confidentiality of the student.

In-Service

The district shall provide appropriate in-service programs, information and material to enable employees to be knowledgeable in dealing safely with students having a communicable disease. As a minimum, procedures for handling such students, cleaning up after such students, dealing with injury, accident or illness, disposing of vomitus, fecal or urinary incontinence, blood spills and similar matters shall be covered.

District employees shall be required to become knowledgeable in such matters as is appropriate to their individual duties. District employees shall implement the specified procedures even though there may be no evidence that the student(s) involved has a communicable disease.

 

Approved April 12, 1988 

Updated May 2009

There shall be sufficient first aid kits and clean-up supplies available in locations readily available to all employees