Contagious or Infectious Diseases
The Charter School provides educational services to students who have enrolled at the School. Attendance at school may be denied to any child diagnosed as having a contagious or infectious disease that could make the child’s attendance harmful to the welfare of other students. In the instance of diseases causing suppressed immunity, attendance may be denied to a child with suppressed immunity in order to protect the welfare of the child with suppressed immunity when others in the School have an infectious disease which, although not normally life threatening, could be life threatening to the child with suppressed immunity.
The Board recognizes that communicable diseases that may afflict students range from common childhood diseases, acute and short-term in nature, to chronic, life-threatening diseases such as human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. The School shall rely on the advice of the public health and medical communities in assessing the risk of transmission of various communicable diseases to determine how best to protect the health of both students and staff.
Management of common communicable diseases will be in accordance with Idaho Department of Health and Welfare guidelines and communicable diseases control rules. A student who exhibits symptoms of a communicable disease that is readily transmitted in the school setting may be temporarily excluded from school attendance.
Students who complain of illness at school may be referred to the School nurse or other responsible person designated by the Board and may be sent home as soon as the parent or person designated on the student’s emergency medical authorization form has been notified.
The Charter reserves the right to require a statement from the student’s primary care provider authorizing the student’s return to school. In all proceedings related to this policy, the School shall respect the student’s right to privacy.
When information is received by a staff member or volunteer that a student is afflicted with a serious communicable disease, the staff member or volunteer shall promptly notify the School nurse or other responsible person designated by the Board to determine appropriate measures to protect student and staff health and safety. The School nurse or other responsible person designated by the Board, after consultation with and on the advice of public health officials, shall determine which additional staff members, if any, have need to know of the affected student’s condition.
Only those persons with direct responsibility for the care of the student or for determining appropriate educational accommodations will be informed of the specific nature of the condition, if it is determined there is a need for such individuals to know this information.
Parents of other children attending the School may be notified that their child has been exposed to a communicable disease without identifying the particular student who has the disease.
Pediculosis (Head Lice)
Pediculosis is the infestation of the hair, skin, or pubic area with adult lice, larvae, or nits (eggs).
The psychological, social, and economic impact of head lice infestations can create a problem in the community. Every attempt will be made to educate students and parents on the prevention and eradication of head lice before and after an infestation is detected.
To avoid embarrassment and to contain the infestation, whole classrooms will be checked for head lice upon the report of possible infestation by a classroom teacher. The principal, his or her designee, School nurse, or another qualified professional will examine the child in question and their classmates. Siblings of students found with lice and their classmates will also be checked if there is the suspicion that infestation may exist. Due to the possible, and very probable, epidemic infestation of head lice in the School environment, anyone exhibiting head lice will be isolated immediately.
Any student found to have head lice will be removed from the classroom with their belongings. The parent/guardian and/or listed emergency contact will be contacted so they can pick up the student and begin treatment immediately. A student suspected of infestation will not ride the bus. The student will be held in the front office or the nurse’s office until the parent/guardian arrives in order to avoid further infestation.
Parents/guardians should be provided with printed educational information on head lice treatment. The educational material should include details explaining the problem, and list the procedures for treatment and requirements for reentering school.
The student may return to the School after being successfully treated so that no live lice or eggs are detected by the School nurse or designated School official. The student’s parent/guardian must accompany the student upon returning to School and remain present during the recheck. With the presence of nits or lice at the time of recheck, the student will continue to be excluded from school.
In the interest of the health and welfare of students enrolled in the School, no student will be permitted to attend classes if they are infested with head lice or the eggs of head lice.
All other children in the classroom where lice or nits have been reported will be checked and given a letter to take home explaining the situation and the need for parents to inspect their children carefully. Any child who is suspected of having lice will be treated with the utmost discretion.
Legal Reference: I.C. § 33-512 Governance of Schools
Policy History:
Adopted on: 6/14/2021
Revised on:
Reviewed on: