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The nurses in District 303 serve all of the students in our 17 school buildings through direct services and through consultation with staff, family and administration. Nurses support all aspects of health and safety in the school community by providing emergency care, facilitating access to school health care, and identifying and managing health issues in the school that impede student learning. Every school has an assigned Certified School Nurse and each health office is staffed with a Registered Nurse in order to provide continuous health care to the students and staff during the school day. Some of these services include:
- Providing care and first aid for illness and injury at school.
- Maintaining the school’s communicable disease prevention and control program.
- Providing health information and counseling for students, parents, and staff.
- Safely storing, administering, documenting, and monitoring the effectiveness of medication given at school.
- Identifying students with special health concerns and developing health care plans with students and families.
- Maintaining accurate records to assure compliance with state mandates including immunizations, physical examinations, and medical conditions.
- Being a resource for health and wellness for classroom teachers, staff and parents and providing expertise on health information and curriculum.
- Communicating with students, families, staff and community agencies to identify and provide services and programs to meet the physical and mental health needs of children and families.
- Collaborating with school multidisciplinary team of psychologist, social worker, and specialists to identify and provide health information, services, modifications, and plans for students.
- Participating as crisis team members and providing crisis intervention for students and staff in the advent of sudden illness or injury.
The Illinois school code requires that students entering an Illinois school for the first time, including students entering early childhood, walk in speech, high school led preschool classes, pre-k, kindergarten, or first grades, and all students entering kindergarten, sixth and ninth grades, as well as transfer students must submit evidence of a physical examination and a complete record of immunizations prior to starting classes or receiving services.
- The completed physical examination and record of immunization form is required to be on file at the school health office upon enrollment/ registration and must be on file by the first day of student attendance or the student is subject to exclusion from school.
- Physical examinations must be done by a licensed physician (MD or DO), advanced practice nurse (APN) or examining physician assistant (PA).
- Only the State of Illinois Certificate of Child Health Examination form will be accepted.
- The physical exam must be completed within one calendar year prior to the start of school and must fulfill all Illinois State Board of Education and Illinois Department of Public Health requirements. Physical examinations must be dated within twelve months prior to the first day of school.
- Students will not be allowed to participate in physical education classes until the required physical form is on file in the school office.
- Medical objections to any physical examination or immunization must be submitted in writing by a physician and must contain required information, including parent consent for review of immunization data by the Illinois Department of Health. Religious objections to any physical examination or immunization must be submitted by a parent/guardian in writing and must contain required information including the completion of the Illinois Certificate of Religious Exemption form. In accordance with state law, medical or religious objections to any health requirement(s) are to be submitted on the same schedule as the requirement.
- Students will not be allowed to begin school without a submitted physical examination form and required immunizations on file in the health office prior to the start of school.
- Early Childhood (including Walk-In Speech students) and Pre-K students must submit required health records and immunizations prior to the start of services.
- Students who are new to District 303 and Illinois schools must submit health records within 30 days of entering school. Transferred health records will be reviewed by the school nurse for compliance with Illinois school health requirements.
*Please make a copy of your child's health records before releasing them to the school.
Vaccination Requirements
Immunization records must show proof of immunization against diphtheria, tetanus, whooping cough, measles, mumps, rubella, polio, hepatitis, meningitis, and chicken pox.
- Early childhood students are also required to have Haemophilus influenza (HIB) and pneumococcal vaccine.
- Sixth graders are required to have one dose of the Tdap vaccine on or after their 11th birthday.
- Sixth graders are required to have one dose of the meningococcal vaccine (MCV4) on or after their 11th birthday.
- Students entering 12th grade must show 1 dose of the meningococcal vaccine (MCV4) administered on or after their 16th birthday. This dose is typically the student's second dose of MCV4.
Please note this important message about measles outbreak control:
The Illinois Control of Communicable Disease Code, Section 690.520, states that upon the onset of a measles case by a single student or staff member, students who have not presented proof of immunity or vaccination for measles shall be excluded until acceptable proof of immunity is received by the school or for 21 days after the onset of the last reported measles case in the school. Acceptable proof of immunity shall consist of:
- A written record from the student's physician or a health professional that indicates dates of vaccination and type of vaccine administered; or
- A statement from a physician indicating the date when the student had measles; or
- A laboratory report indicating that the student has a protective measles antibody titer as measured by a test with demonstrable reliability.
District 303 School health requirements are in compliance with the rules and regulations set forth by the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH), the School Code of Illinois and the Illinois State Board of Education.
Dental Examination Requirements (updated 1/2019)
Students in kindergarten, second, sixth and ninth grades must submit evidence of a dental examination by May 15th of that school year. Dental exams must be completed within 18 months prior to May 15th.
Vision Examination Requirements
Students entering Illinois schools for the 1st time (kindergarten or transfer) must submit evidence of a vision exam conducted by a physician who provides a complete eye exam or a licensed optometrist.
Medication at School Requirements
Asthma Requirements
Students requiring rescue medication to be stored in the health office and administered by the nurse or designated certified staff personnel during school hours only:
- General Medication form signed & dated by the student's health care provider and parent OR a copy of the pharmacy prescription label containing the name of the medication, the prescribed dosage, and the time and circumstances under which the medication is to be administered.
- All medication prescription forms must be dated within the calendar school year and must provide beginning and ending dates within the calendar school year.
- A one-time (or if condition changes) Asthma Assessment form is recommended.
- Inhaler provided in the original pharmacy container marked with pharmacy label indicating the student's name, the specified medication, dosage and administration schedule.
- Inhaler expiration date must be clearly marked.
- Please provide the student's Asthma Action Plan (if available) to the school nurse.
Students who choose to self-carry and self-administer a quick acting asthma inhaler. These students should be independent in the management of their asthma.
- Written Authorization and Release of Liability form for self-carry/administration of a quick acting inhaler from the student's parent or guardian is required.
- A copy of the pharmacy prescription label containing the name of the medication, the prescribed dosage and the time and circumstances under which the medication is to be administered OR a General Medication form signed and dated by a health care provider.
- A one-time Asthma Assessment form is recommended. (May be resubmitted if condition changes.)
- The information provided shall be kept on file in the school health office.
- Students are encouraged to keep an extra inhaler in the school health office.
All Other Medication Requirements
- Only those students with medical authorization and/or parent release of liability for approved rescue medications are permitted to self-carry and self-administer medication during school hours.
- All other medication administration (over the counter and prescription) during school hours requires a general Medication Authorization Form signed and dated by the student's health care provider and the parent/guardian containing:
- The name and purpose of the medication
- The date of the order and the discontinuation date
- The prescribed dosage and the time(s) of administration
- The circumstances under which the medication is to be administered
- The side effects of the medication
- The signatures and dates of both the health care provider and the parent/guardian
Life-Threatening Food and Non-Food Allergies Requirements
Students requiring rescue medication to be held in the health office and administered by the nurse or designated certified staff personnel during school hours must submit:
- A Life-Threatening Food Allergy Action/Medication Plan OR A Life-Threatening Non-Food Allergy Action/Medication Plan form signed and dated by the student's health care provider.
- Individual Care Plan on back side of Action/Medication Plan to be completed and signed by the parent/guardian.
- A one-time History of Life-Threatening Food or Non-Food Allergy Form is recommended. (May be updated and resubmitted if condition changes.)
- Forms should be submitted to the school health office prior to the start of the school year.
- Epinephrine must be provided in the original pharmacy container marked with pharmacy label indicating the student's name, the specific medication, dosage and administration schedule.
- Benadryl provided in pharmacy premeasured packaging is preferred.
- All medication prescription forms must be dated with in the calendar school year.
- Medication must not expire during the prescribed course of administration.
Students who choose to self-carry and self-administer epinephrine auto-injector. These students should be independent in the management of their life-threatening allergies.
End of School Year Requirements
All Student Medication kept in the Health Office during the school year MUST BE PICKED UP by a parent or responsible adult by the last day of school, or the medication will be disposed of as medical waste.
Vision and Hearing Screenings
Vision and hearing screenings are provided annually to District 303 students at the State-mandated grade levels, as designated by the Illinois Department of Public Health. All students in special education programs, students transferring into the District who have not previously been screened, and students to be tested related to classroom teacher requests are screened during this annual program.
Screenings are performed by District 303 nurses and trained technicians who are certified by the Illinois Department of Public Health.
Scheduled intervals for Vision and Hearing screenings are:
Vision screenings
- Preschool, Kindergarten, 2nd and 8th grades
- Special Education students (includes students in speech)
- Foster care and transfer students from out of state
Hearing screenings
- Preschool, Kindergarten, 1st, 2nd and 3rd grades
- Special Education students (includes students in speech)
- Foster Care and transfer students from out of state
- Students having known or suspected hearing loss
Human Papillomavirus Information
The Illinois Department of Public Health encourages all parents of pre-teens and teens to become familiar with Human Papillomavirus — commonly known as HPV — as well as the vaccine available for prevention of this virus. HPV is known to cause a number of different types of cancers in both females and males.
The links below provide valuable information for parents as well as tween and teenaged students regarding the nature and prevention of HPV. Please take time to review this information now so that you can make informed decisions regarding having your child vaccinated for HPV.
During your child’s mandated 6th grade physical examination, your physician or medical provider will begin discussing the causes and prevention of HPV. Your awareness of this disease and the HPV vaccine will help you make medical decisions for your child.
