Policy 5141.32 - Health Screening for School Entry

Health Screening for School Entry

The Board of Education recognizes the importance of identifying potential physical and mental disabilities at an early age so that appropriate treatment can prevent or lessen the damage they may cause. In cooperation with the county child health and disability prevention program, the Superintendent or designee shall provide the parents/guardians of kindergarten children with information regarding the health screening and evaluation services and other benefits provided under Chapter 2, Article 3.4 of the Health and Safety Code.

The Superintendent or designee shall annually provide the county child health and disability prevention program, the State Department of Health Services and the Department of Education with the information required by Health and Safety Code 324.2.

The parents/guardians of kindergarten children must be informed of their obligation to obtain or waive a health screening for their children before they enter first grade.

Rule 5141.32

Comprehensive Health Screening for Grade K-1

When parents/guardians enroll their children in kindergarten, the district shall inform them about their obligation to obtain or waive a health screening for their children before they enter first grade. The district shall also inform them about the availability of free health screening for low-income children, as provided under the Child Health and Disabilities Prevention Program (CHDP), and about the evaluation services and other benefits provided under Chapter 2, Article 3.4 of the Health and Safety Code.

The above information shall be provided with notifications about immunization requirements and when parents/guardians enroll any first grade children who have not attended kindergarten in the district. The district shall encourage parents/guardians to arrange for their children to obtain their health screening prior to or during their kindergarten year.

In order to be registered for first grade, the student must have completed the requirement or have proof of an upcoming appointment. Students will be placed on class lists when the above has been met.

The Superintendent or designee shall annually provide the county Child Health and Disability Prevention Program, the State Department of Health Services and the California Department of Education with the health screening information required by law.

The completed certification form or the waiver shall be maintained in the student's health file or cumulative record.

Oral Health Assessment for Grades K-1

No later than May 31 of the relevant school year, the parent/guardian of a kindergarten student, or first-grade student who was not previously enrolled in kindergarten in a public school, shall certify that the student has received an oral health assessment. The oral health assessment shall have been performed by a licensed dentist or other authorized dental health professional no earlier than 12 months prior to the date of the student's initial enrollment. The parent/guardian shall submit to the Superintendent or designee a California Department of Education standardized form which has been completed and signed by the dental health professional.

The Superintendent or designee shall notify parents/guardians of the oral health assessment requirement. The notification shall, at a minimum, consist of a letter that includes all of the following:

1. An explanation of the administrative requirements of the law
2. Information on the importance of primary teeth
3. Information on the importance of oral health to overall health and to learning
4. A toll-free telephone number to request an application for Healthy Families, MediCal, or other government-subsidized health insurance programs
5. Contact information for county public health departments
6. A statement of privacy applicable under state and federal laws and regulations

The student may be excused from complying with the oral health assessment if his/her parent/guardian indicates on the standardized form that it could not be completed for any of the following reasons:

1. Completion of an assessment poses an undue financial burden on the parent/guardian.
2. The parent/guardian lacks access to a licensed dentist or other dental health professional.
3. The parent/guardian does not consent to an assessment.

Students who are not assessed, or for whom the parents/guardians fail to return the standardized form, shall not be excluded from school attendance.

By December 31 of each year, the Superintendent or designee shall report data on oral health assessments to the county office of education in accordance with Education Code 49452.8.

The report shall also be provided to the Board of Education. The identity of any student shall not be included in the report.

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