The Board of Education desires to protect students from risks posed by exposure to infectious diseases while providing a high quality education for all students. The Superintendent or designee shall collaborate with local and state health officials to develop and regularly update a comprehensive plan for disease prevention that promotes preventative measures, mitigation, education, communication, and training of students and staff. All measures to limit the spread of infectious diseases shall be nondiscriminatory and ensure that equity is promoted.
(cf. 0400 - Comprehensive Plans)
(cf. 0410 - Nondiscrimination in District Programs and Activities)
(cf. 0415 - Equity)
(cf. 0450 - Comprehensive Safety Plan)
(cf. 1312.3 - Uniform Complaint Procedures)
(cf. 1400 - Relations Between Other Governmental Agencies and the Schools)
(cf. 3516 - Emergencies and Disaster Preparedness Plan)
(cf. 5141.21 - Administering Medication and Monitoring Health Conditions)
(cf. 5141.26 - Tuberculosis Testing)
(cf. 5141.3 - Health Examinations)
(cf. 5141.31 - Immunizations)
(cf. 5141.32 - Health Screening for School Entry)
(cf. 5141.6 - School Health Services)
(cf. 5145.3 - Nondiscrimination/Harassment)
(cf. 6020 - Parent Involvement)
The Superintendent or designee shall regularly review resources available from health experts to ensure that district programs and operations are based on the most up-to-date information.
The district's comprehensive health education program shall provide age-appropriate information about the nature and symptoms of communicable diseases, their transmission, and how to help prevent the spread of contagious diseases.
(cf. 6142.1 - Sexual Health and HIV/AIDS Prevention Instruction)
(cf. 6142.8 - Comprehensive Health Education)
If the local health officer notifies the district of an outbreak of a communicable disease, or the imminent and proximate threat of a communicable disease outbreak or epidemic that threatens the public's health, the district shall take any action that the health officer deems necessary to control the spread of the disease. The district shall comply with all applicable state and federal privacy laws in regard to any such information received from the local health officer. (Health and Safety Code 120175.5)
Students and staff shall observe universal precautions in order to prevent exposure to bloodborne pathogens and to prevent the spread of infectious diseases.
(cf. 4119.42/4219.42/4319.42 - Exposure Control Plan for Bloodborne Pathogens)
(cf. 4119.43/4219.43/4319.43 - Universal Precautions)
The Superintendent or designee shall inform students of the precautions to be used in cases of exposure to blood or other body fluids through injury, accident, or classroom instruction.
(cf. 5141 - Health Care and Emergencies)
(cf. 6145.2 - Athletic Competition)
Students with Infectious Diseases
The Superintendent or designee shall exclude students from on-campus instruction only in accordance with law, Board policy, and administrative regulation. Because bloodborne pathogens such as hepatitis B virus, hepatitis C virus, and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) are not casually transmitted, the presence of infectious conditions of this type is not, by itself, sufficient reason to exclude students from attending school.
(cf. 5112.2 - Exclusions from Attendance)
(cf. 6164.6 - Identification and Education Under Section 504)
Parents/guardians are encouraged to inform the Superintendent or designee if their child has an infectious disease so that school staff may work cooperatively with the student's parents/guardians to minimize the child's exposure to other diseases in the school setting. If necessary, the Superintendent or designee shall inform the local health official of any potential outbreak. The Superintendent or designee shall ensure that student confidentiality and privacy rights are strictly observed in accordance with law.
(cf. 4119.23/4219.23/4319.23 - Unauthorized Release of Confidential/Privileged Information)
(cf. 5022 - Student and Family Privacy Rights)
(cf. 5125 - Student Records)
Legal Reference:
EDUCATION CODE
49060-49069.7 Student records
49073-49079 Privacy of pupil records
49403 Cooperation in control of communicable disease and immunization of pupils
49405 Smallpox control
49406 Examination for tuberculosis (employees)
49408 Student emergency information
49602 Counseling and confidentiality of student information
51202 Instruction in personal and public health and safety
CIVIL CODE
56-56.37 Confidentiality of Medical Information Act
1798-1798.78 Information Practices Act
HEALTH AND SAFETY CODE
120175.5 Local health officers and communicable diseases
120230 Exclusion for communicable disease
120325-120380 Immunization against communicable diseases
120875-120895 AIDS information
120975-121023 Mandated blood testing and confidentiality to protect public health
121475-121520 Tuberculosis tests for students
CALIFORNIA CONSTITUTION
Article 1, Section 1 Right to Privacy
CODE OF REGULATIONS, TITLE 8
5193 Bloodborne pathogens
CODE OF REGULATIONS, TITLE 17
2500-2511 Communicable disease reporting requirements
UNITED STATES CODE, TITLE 20
1232g Family Educational and Privacy Rights Act
1400-1482 Individuals with Disabilities Education Act
UNITED STATES CODE, TITLE 29
794 Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973
CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS, TITLE 45
164.500-164.534 Privacy of individually identifiable health information
COURT DECISIONS
Thomas v. Atascadero Unified School District, (1986) 662 F.Supp. 376
Management Resources:
CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION PUBLICATIONS
Science Safety Handbook for California Public Schools, 2014
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES PUBLICATIONS
School District (K-12) Pandemic Influenza Planning Checklist
WEB SITES
CSBA: http://www.csba.org
California Department of Education: http://www.cde.ca.gov
California Department of Public Health: http://www.cdph.ca.gov
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: http://www.cdc.gov
Policy UKIAH UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT
adopted: November 12, 2013 Ukiah, California
revised: September 17, 2020