Health Services

Student Health Requirements provided by the Iowa Department of Education

Voluntary Preschool

The Statewide Voluntary Preschool Program for four-year-old learners was established in May, 2007 (Iowa Code Chapter 256C). Programs that receive funding from the Iowa Department of Education must follow an approved set of program standards: Iowa Quality Preschool Program Standards [IQPPS] (Health, page 12), Head Start Program Performance Standards (HSPPS), or National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) accreditation standards and criteria. Preschool programs should follow their adopted program standard requirements for Health.

Iowa Immunization Requirements – An immunization record is required to enroll pursuant to Iowa Department of Public Health [IDPH] 641 Chapter 7. The school nurse collaborates with local public health, whom audits admitting official’s compliance with IAC 641 Chapter 7.

Vision Student Card – Schools are required to give all enrolling preschool students’ parents or a legal guardian a student vision card to all registering kindergarten students pursuant to IAC 280.7A.

Kindergarten

Immunization Registry Information System [IRIS] – for tracking of immunization records for Iowa students

Dental Screening Requirement – All children enrolled are required to have a dental screening pursuant to IDPH 641 Chapter 51. The school nurse collaborates with regional public health designee, I-Smile Coordinators, whom audit the admitting school official’s compliance with IAC 641 Chapter 51. There is no school exclusion with this mandated health screening. A school nurse may complete the Kindergarten Dental Screening. The link includes the certificate of dental screening form, exemption form, dental screening flyer, and link to find your community’s regional I smile Coordinator.

Mandatory Lead Testing Program – All children enrolling are required to have at least one lead test. The school nurse collaborates with school personnel to complete a Kindergarten excel spreadsheet containing enrolling student demographic information that is returned by email to IDPH that is compared to the state Lead database. IDPH will audit the list of enrolling students and return to the school a list of students whom did not meet the requirement and school admitting official’s compliance with IAC 641 Chapter 67. The link includes the spreadsheet, instructions for data entry, administrative rules, certificate for exemption, and parent resources.

Vision Screening Requirements – Each public or accredited nonpublic school shall forward to the Iowa Department of Public Health evidence of each Kindergartner’s valid vision screening performed no earlier than 1 year prior to enrollment and no more than 6 months after the date of the child’s enrollment. The school nurse can collaborate with community providers or conduct the screening themselves. School nurses may enter the screening results into the IRIS to provide proof that school officials are in compliance with IAC 641 Chapter 52 or by mail/fax. To access Vision training resources, certificate of vision screening, IRIS enrollment information at: Immunization Registry Information System.

Schools are required to give a student vision card to all registering kindergarten students pursuant to IAC 280.7A. To order Student Vision Cards, please go to: iowaoptometry.org
Iowa Child Vision Screening Program – The Iowa Department of Public Workgroup has listed approved visions screening methods available for schools.

Third Grade

Vision Screening Requirements: Each public or accredited nonpublic school shall forward to the Iowa Department of Public Health evidence of each Third Grader’s valid vision screening performed no earlier than 1 year prior to enrollment and no more than 6 months after the date of the child’s enrollment. The school nurse can collaborate with community providers or conduct the screening themselves. School nurses may enter the screening results into the IRIS to provide proof that school officials are in compliance with IAC 641 Chapter 52 or by mail/fax. To access Vision training resources, certificate of vision screening, IRIS enrollment information at: Immunization Registry Information System.

Iowa Child Vision Screening Program – The Iowa Department of Public Workgroup has listed approved visions screening methods available for schools.
Seventh Grade
Tetanus, Diphtheria, Pertussis (Tdap) Vaccination Requirement: Beginning the 2013-2014 school year and thereafter, students entering 7th grade and above if born on or after September 15, 2000, shall have a one-time dose of tetanus, diphtheria, acellular pertussis (Tdap) vaccine.

Meningococcal Secondary School Vaccination Requirement: Beginning the 2017-2018 school year and thereafter, Students entering 7th grade born on or after September 15, 2004 shall have one dose of meningococcal conjugate vaccine (A,C,W,Y). There is no provisional period to implement this requirement.

Seventh Grade

7th Grade

Health Screening	Required for Families	Required for Schools
Immunizations	Students entering 7th grade are required to have one dose of the following vaccines: Tdap – Tetanus, Diphtheria, Pertussis Meningococcal Conjugate	There is no provisional period to implement this requirement. Students without receipt of a valid certificate from parents require school administration officials to exclude the student.

Health Screening

Required for Families

Required for Schools

Immunizations

Students entering 7th grade are required to have one dose of the following vaccines:

Tdap – Tetanus, Diphtheria, Pertussis
Meningococcal Conjugate

There is no provisional period to implement this requirement.

Students without receipt of a valid certificate from parents require school administration officials to exclude the student.

Ninth Grade

Dental Screening Requirement: All children enrolled in ninth grade are required to have a dental screening pursuant to IDPH 641 Chapter 51. The school nurse collaborates with regional public health designees, I-Smile Coordinators, whom audit the admitting school official’s compliance with IAC 641 Chapter 51. There is no school exclusion with this mandated dental screening. To access the certificate of dental screening form, exemption form, dental screening flyer, and link to find your community’s regional I smile Coordinator go to: School Dental Screenings

Twelfth Grade

Meningococcal Secondary School Vaccination Requirement: Beginning the 2017-2018 school year and thereafter, students entering 12th grade born on or after September 15, 1999 shall have two doses of meningococcal conjugate vaccine (A,C,W,Y); or 1 dose if one dose was previously received when the student was sixteen years of age or older. There is no provisional period to implement this requirement if the student has received no meningococcal conjugate vaccine.

MEDICATIONS AT SCHOOL

If your student needs to take a prescription medication while at school, your doctor will need to fill out a medication form. These are available online or at the school office.
If your student needs to take an over the counter medication at school, a parent will need to fill out a medication form and submit it to the school office. These are available online or at the school office.
Medications must come to school in the original bottle from the pharmacy. Medications sent in a baggie, envelope, or plastic container will not be accepted and the school will not be able to give these to the student.

All medications will be given as instructed on the original bottle or as prescribed.

No medication of any kind is allowed on the school buses with the exception of emergency medications; Insulin, Inhalers, Diastat, and EpiPens.

Emergency medications, as noted above, can be carried by the student, unless it is felt that the student is not mature enough or responsible enough to take the medication without supervision.

All medications will be stored in the school office. The student will report to the office to take the medication. Asthma inhalers, Epi-Pens, Diastat, and Diabetic supplies are the only medications that may be kept with the student or in their classroom.

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