CURRENT HEALTH CONCERNS

  • If Your Student is Sick, Keep Them Home!

    Keep your child at home if they have:

    • Fever: a temperature of 100° or higher; students MAY NOT RETURN to school until fever-free for 24 hours without the use of medication to reduce the fever
    • Colds: if your student has a constant cough, constant runny nose, cannot stay awake or pay attention
    • Vomiting & Diarrhea: keep your student home until the illness is over
    • Toothache or Earache: if your student can't pay attention due to pain; call your student's healthcare provider
    • Injury: if your student will have trouble moving without the use of pain medication; call your student's healthcare provider

    If you keep your student home, please call the school before 9:00 a.m.

    Undesignated Medication

    The safety and wellness of our students and staff is always our top priority. To further protect health and safety, each nurse’s office stocks undesignated asthma medication (inhaler) of Albuterol; Epinephrine, an auto injection pen; and Narcan, a nasal spray. 

    • Stock Albuterol inhaler (PreK-12): This medication can be used in the event of respiratory distress or asthma symptoms. Asthma is a condition in which the airways narrow, swell, and may produce extra mucus. When this occurs, it becomes difficult to breathe. This condition can range from minor to life-threatening. The “undesignated” asthma medication is allowed under Public Act 100-0726, and is not intended to replace asthma medication prescribed to someone with known asthma.
    • Stock Epinephrine auto-injectors (K-12): This self-injectable medication is the first-line treatment for severe or life-threatening allergic reactions (anaphylaxis). Epinephrine is a highly effective medication that can reverse severe symptoms. However, it must be administered promptly during anaphylaxis to be most effective. Delayed use of epinephrine during an anaphylactic reaction has been associated with deaths. The “undesignated” Epinephrine auto-injector medication is allowed under Schools Public Act 97-0361 The supply of emergency epinephrine allowed under this Act is not intended to replace epinephrine prescribed to students with known allergies. Epinephrine auto-injectors will only be available for Kindergarten through 12th grade students weighing 33 or more pounds.
    • Stock Narcan nasal spray (Middle & High School ONLY): This is used for the treatment of opioid overdose, which occurs when the amount of opioid in the body is so great the individual becomes unresponsive to stimuli and breathing becomes inadequate. Lack of oxygen affects vital organs, including the heart and brain, leading to unconsciousness, coma, and eventually death. Naloxone/NARCAN® is indicated for the reversal of opioid overdose in the presence of respiratory depression or unresponsiveness. Access to Narcan is allowed under School Public Act Section 22-30(f) of the School Code. Maintaining a supply of undesignated opioid antagonists in the name of the District to provide or administer them as necessary at the middle school and high school levels is allowed according to State law.

    School nurses or trained personnel, as defined in State law, may administer these undesignated medications to a person when they, in good faith, believe a person is having a medical emergency. Each building administrator and/or their corresponding school nurse shall maintain the names of trained personnel who have received a statement of certification pursuant to State law. 

    If you choose to exclude your child from the use of undesignated medication from the above listing, you must provide your objections in writing to the school.

    Letter to Parents RE: Undesignated Medication

    Resource Guides for Life-Threatening Conditions

    The goal of District #61 is to provide a safe environment for all students, including those with life-threatening conditions. Although the risk to students with these conditions in our schools cannot be completely eliminated, it can be greatly reduced. DPS has developed plans of support to address the identification of individual needs, staff awareness, necessary curricular and procedural modifications, and emergency plans. Protecting students is the shared responsibility of families, schools, and the community. 

    The purpose of these manuals is to reduce unintended reactions by outlining the problems, providing education on procedural management, and outlining the responsibilities for the student, families, and the school system. District #61 will continue to monitor and evaluate these issue to ensure the proper implementation of these guidelines across our jurisdiction.

    Supporting Students with Life-Threatening Allergies

    Epinephrine Auto-Injectors

    Care of Students with Diabetes