STUDENTS ATTENDANCE/IMMUNIZATION
NON-COMPLIANCE
All students enrolling for the first time in a state school (i.e.,
pre-schoolers, kindergartners, first graders, and transferees from
another state or another district) shall receive the basic series of
immunizations. Failure to complete the basic immunization
requirements, in the absence of valid exemption, requires a student to
be excluded from school attendance on the second Monday following the
Fourth Friday Official Student Census, and at medically designated
times, until immunization requirements are completed.
"Exemption" means a temporary or permanent waiver of
one or more of the specific immunization requirements for medical,
religious, or other reasons. "Medical exemption" means a written
statement from a physician (licensed to practice medicine or
osteopathy in any jurisdiction in the United States or Canada) that an
immunization is medically contraindicated for a specified period of
time. A valid medical contraindication shall include all of the
following: the vaccines that are contraindicated, the period of time
during which the exemption shall remain in effect, and the signature
of the physician requesting the exemption. "Religious or other
exemption" means a statement signed by the parent, legal guardian, or
person in-loco-parent of a child, which certifies that immunization is
in conflict with his/her religious or other convictions and which
includes the name and birth date of the child.
The law further provides the authority for local
boards of education to adopt a policy excluding non-exempt students in
certain grade levels until the immunization requirements are met.
All district students are required to have valid
immunization against diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus, polio, measles,
rubella, and mumps. (The mumps requirement pertains only to children
entering school for the first time after September 1, 1979.) Newly
enrolled students are required to provide dates (month, day, and year)
immunizations were received.
Other under-immunized students (i.e., late enrollees
and others whose records are accessed) shall be excluded one month
after written notification to parents or legal guardian of
non-compliance, and at medically designated times, until immunization
requirements are completed.
An immunization assessment shall be conducted each
year for grades seven and ten in order to update records and remind
parents of the need for booster immunizations.
Continued absence from school for failure to comply
with the immunization requirements shall be deemed unexcused and shall
subject the student to all district and state penalties and procedures
for unexcused absence, including the reporting of such absence as
truancy to governmental officials.
