Policy 5141.23 - Asthma Management
Series: 5000 - Students
Policy: 5141.23 - Asthma Management
Adopted: 09/02/2008
Last Revised: 05/05/2026
Last Reviewed: 05/05/2026
ASTHMA MANAGEMENT
The Board of Education desires to provide support systems for students with asthma in order to reduce school absences, help ensure that such students receive appropriate intervention if symptoms occur at school and enable them to participate in the educational program and school activities to the extent possible.
The Superintendent or designee shall involve school nurses, other health professionals, school administrators, and health educators in the development of strategies to help provide a healthy and safe school environment for students with asthma. The Superintendent or designee may also involve school health councils or committees and other interested persons to ensure that the district's strategies are coordinated with other school health programs and practices.
District strategies shall include, but not be limited to, procedures for identifying and addressing individual student needs, providing effective professional development on asthma symptoms and staff responsibilities, and identifying and reducing environmental factors at schools that may trigger and/or worsen asthma symptoms.
Rule 5141.23
Adopted: 09/02/2008
Last Revised: 05/05/2026
Last Reviewed: 05/05/2026
Upon Student’s registration for school, any time during the course of the school year, and annually thereafter, parents/guardians shall be requested to notify the principal or designee, in writing, if their child has been diagnosed with asthma, has recently experienced symptoms or has a history of asthma, and/or is at risk for severe asthma attacks.
The Superintendent or designee shall keep a student’s medical information in a secure location and maintain the confidentiality of student health records in accordance with law governing student records. Pertinent information from the health record shall be released to other employees whose responsibilities require that they have access to such information in order to provide support services or to respond to an emergency, such as a school nurse, a student’s teacher(s), coach(es), bus driver, and any other staff with responsibility for direct supervision of the student.
Plan for Individualized Asthma Management
The Superintendent or designee shall request the parents/guardians of each student identified with asthma to annually submit an asthma action plan developed by the student's health care provider in partnership with the student and their parents/guardians. The action plan shall include, but not be limited to, information regarding the student's symptoms and severity, asthma triggers, necessary medications, and authorization for disclosure of health information to the district. Parents/guardians shall submit an updated plan each school year or whenever there are changes in the student’s health condition or treatment.
When a student with asthma has been identified as disabled pursuant to Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 or the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, necessary accommodations and services shall be identified as part of the student's Section 504 plan or individualized education program (IEP), as appropriate.
Any student who needs to take prescribed medication during the school day may be assisted by a school nurse or designated school personnel or allowed to carry and self-administer inhaled asthma medication provided that the district receives written statements from the student's physician and parent/guardian in accordance with Education Code 49423.1 and BP/AR 5141.21 - Administering Medication and Monitoring Health Conditions.
Parents/Guardians shall be requested to provide quick relief medication to be administered in accordance with the student’s asthma action plan.
Students shall be encouraged to notify their teacher, coach, or other staff when they are experiencing symptoms and/or need to alter their physical activity level. A student experiencing symptoms shall be encouraged to use their quick relief medication. The student shall be supervised on school grounds by a responsible adult until no longer experiencing symptoms and/or the parent/guardian has been contacted.
Emergency Response
In case of emergency, staff shall call 911 and assist the student in the administration of quick-relief medication as authorized in the student's asthma action plan, Section 504 services plan, or IEP. Staff shall contact the student’s parent/guardian or other person identified as an emergency contact and shall supervise the student until care has been assumed by a health professional, parent/guardian, or designated emergency contact.
Professional Development
Asthma management and support systems shall be coordinated by a school nurse, other qualified health professional, or educator who has received appropriate training.
Staff shall be provided professional development which includes information about symptoms and common triggers of asthma, ways to reduce acute symptoms, and emergency response procedures. The professional development shall be provided by an outside consultant or organization, a school nurse, or other qualified health professional, or educator who has received appropriate training.
A school nurse or other qualified personnel may provide education to students with asthma using approved curriculum.
Environmental Assessment
The Superintendent or designee may periodically conduct an environmental assessment to identify and reduce the presence of common asthma triggers in the school environment, including, but not limited to, pesticides, chemical pollutants, mold, and animal and dust mite allergens.
The Superintendent or designee shall communicate with each school principal when local health advisories are issued for high ozone days or poor outdoor air quality so that outdoor physical activities may be curtailed as necessary.
Legal References
Policy Reference Disclaimer:
These references are not intended to be part of the policy itself, nor do they indicate the basis or authority for the Board to enact this policy. Instead, they are provided as additional resources for those interested in the subject matter of the policy.
STATE
CALIFORNIA CODE OF REGULATIONS
5 CCR 600-611 Administering medication to students
EDUCATION CODE
49407 Liability for treatment
49408 Student emergency information
49414.5 Providing school personnel with voluntary emergency training
49423 Administration of prescribed medication for student
49423.5 Specialized health care services
49426 School nurses
49480 Continuing medication regimen; notice
51880-51921 Comprehensive health education
FEDERAL
UNITED STATES CODE
20 USC 1232g Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) of 1974
20 USC 1400-1482 Individuals with Disabilities Education Act
29 USC 794 Rehabilitation Act of 1973; Section 504
42 USC 280g Children's asthma treatment grant program
MANAGEMENT RESOURCES
CSBA PUBLICATION
Indoor Air Quality: Governing Board Actions for Creating Healthy School Environments, Policy Brief, July 2008
Asthma Management in the Schools, Policy Brief, March 2008
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION PUBLICATION
Joint Guidance on the Application of FERPA and HIPAA to Student Health Records, November 2008
U.S. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY PUBLICATION
Indoor Air Quality Tools for Schools
WEBSITES
CSBA District and County Office of Education Legal Services https://legalservices.csba.org/#
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/public/lung/index.htm#asthma
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) http://www.epa.gov/asthma
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention http://www.cdc.gov/asthma
American School Health Association http://www.ashaweb.org/
California School Nurses Organization http://www.csno.org/
American Lung Association http://www.lungusa.org/
California Department of Public Health http://www.cdph.ca.gov/
CSBA http://www.csba.org/