Student health services are provided by staff from the Dell Children’s Hospital. A registered nurse and/or a health aide (clinical assistant) is available during the school day. The office staff also provides assistance and care for ill or injured children, in the absence of health care staff.
The Health Office is located next to the main office.
Emergency Contacts
Every school year, parents are asked to supply and update emergency contacts. If a child needs emergency care and no one named on the emergency card can be reached, the school will call the City of Austin Emergency Medical Service (EMS). Parents are responsible for any medical bills from EMS and the hospital they use. If, during the school day, a child has a higher than normal temperature, an injury that requires additional medical attention, or has other medical needs, you will be notified immediately by the teacher, school nurse, or office staff.
Immunizations
AISD enforces state laws requiring records of mandated immunizations or proper exemptions. In order to attend public school, all students must be current on their immunizations. Student Health Services will notify you in writing if your child needs an update.
Vision and Hearing Screenings
AISD does vision and hearing screenings annually for students in Pre-K, Kindergarten, 2nd and 5th grade. Students in grades 1, 3, and 4 are screened only if the teacher recommends it. Screenings are announced in advance. If your child wears glasses, please make sure he or she wears or brings them to school to wear for the screening. Only those parents whose children fail the screening receive notification of results by mail. The health team re-screens students who do not pass the screening, and will call you if your child needs further evaluation. The health team will also screen for special education requirements.
Medication
If a child must take medication during school hours, he or she must have taken the first dose of the medication at home, parents must sign a medication consent form and provide instructions to the nurse or the office staff before it can be given. All prescription and over-the-counter medications must be in their original containers and kept in the office. Do not send medication of any kind to school for your child to take on his or her own, unless an exception is made for student safety as outlined in AISD policy.
Illness
Children should be kept home from school if they are experiencing any of the following:
- fever above 4 degrees F
- vomiting
- diarrhea
- irritating or frequent cough
- chickenpox
- conjunctivitis (pink eye)
- any other communicable illness
Students must be free of fever (without medication to reduce it) before returning to school. A child taking antibiotics should be on the medication a full 24 hours before returning to school.
Lice
Lice infestations are a common occurrence among school-aged children and do not reflect on the hygiene standards of students or their families. To contain the spread of lice, parents who suspect their child has lice or has been exposed to lice should contact the child’s teacher or the school nurse immediately.
Students found to have head lice are sent home for treatment. You will be notified if eggs are found; treatment will be discussed at that time. The health team is glad to provide information about treatment to parents and students at any time.
Additional information can be found at http://www.austinisd.org/health.