JLCC

File:   JLCC (pdf)
Adopted:   August 13, 1992
Revised: September 26, 2000, January 8, 2019

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COMMUNICABLE/INFECTIOUS DISEASES

The Board of Education recognizes that communicable diseases which 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. This school district shall rely on the advice of the medical community in assessing the risk of transmission of various communicable diseases to determine how best to protect the health of both students and staff. The risk of transmitting HIV/AIDS is extremely low in school settings when current guidelines and preventative measures are followed.

Management of common communicable diseases shall be in accordance with Colorado Department of Health guidelines. A student who exhibits symptoms of a readily-transmissible communicable disease may be temporarily excluded from school attendance.

Students who complain of illness at school may be referred to the school’s health staff or nurse and may be sent home as soon as the parent/guardian or person designated on the student’s emergency medical authorization form has been notified.

The district reserves the right to require a physician's statement authorizing the student's return to school.

In all proceedings related to this policy, the district 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, readily-transmissible disease, the staff member or volunteer shall promptly notify the school’s health staff, school nurse or principal to determine appropriate measures to protect student and staff health and safety. The principal, after consultation with the school nurse, Director of Health Services, the student and parent/guardian, 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 shall be informed of the specific nature of the condition if it is determined there is a need for such individuals to know this information.

The Superintendent shall initiate procedures to ensure that all medical information will be held in strict confidence. Any school staff member who violates confidentiality shall be subject to appropriate disciplinary measures

LEGAL REFS.:     
C.R.S. 22-33-104 (2)(a) (compulsory attendance law not applicable to a student who is temporarily ill and such absence is approved)
C.R.S. 22-33-106 (2) (grounds for suspension, expulsion and denial of admission)

End of File: JLCC