Adopted: 7/13/79
Amended: 11/11/83, 9/21/84, 5/30/86, 3/10/88, 11/17/95, 1/24/02
Reviewed:
When a student enrolls in the School and the student's previous local school district has not provided the School with the results of vision examinations or hearing screenings, that student shall be evaluated for vision problems and screened for possible hearing problems. This examination or screening shall occur prior to completion of the first semester of enrollment or within 120 calendar days of enrollment, whichever is longer. Students may meet this requirement by providing evidence of screening conducted one year prior to enrollment. 25 TAC 37.23(a)
The student or minor student's parent, managing conservator or guardian, may elect to substitute one or more professional examinations for the required screening tests. Health and Safety Code 36.005(a)
Students in kindergarten and grades 1, 3, 5, 7, and 9 shall be screened for vision and hearing problems annually at any time during the reporting year prior to May 31. 25 TAC 37.23(c)(d)
Not later than the 1999-2000 school year, the Texas-Mexico Border Health Coordination Office of the University of Texas shall establish an acanthosis nigricans screening pilot program and shall require screening of individuals who attend public schools located in Cameron, El Paso, Hidalgo, Hudspeth, Jim Hogg, Starr, Webb, Willacy and Zapata counties.
The executive council of the Texas-Mexico Border Health Coordination Office shall develop rules requiring that acanthosis nigricans screening be performed at the same time hearing and vision screening is performed.
The chief administrator of each school shall ensure that each individual admitted to the school complies with the screening requirements or submits an affidavit or exemption.
Students in grades 6 and 9 as designated by each program principal of the School shall be screened for abnormal spinal curvature before the end of the school year. This requirement may be met by a professional examination performed by a state-licensed practitioner with expertise in diagnosing spinal deformities. Students entering the sixth and ninth grades not previously screened shall be screened within 120 days of enrollment. The School shall implement a program for conducting spinal screening in grades 5 and 8. 25 TAC 37.148(a), (c), (d)
If the screening indicates the student may have an abnormal spinal curvature, the School shall send the original of the screening report to the student's parent, managing conservator, or guardian along with a letter advising of the parent's responsibility to select an appropriate health practitioner for an examination. 25 TAC 37.148(e)
A student is exempt from the screening requirements if the tests conflict with the tenets and practices of a recognized church or religious denomination of which the student is an adherent or a member. The student or minor student's parent, managing conservator, or guardian shall submit to the School on or before the day of admission an affidavit stating the objections to screening. Health and Safety Code 36.005(b), 37.002(b)
The School shall submit to the Texas Department of Health by June 30 of each year an annual report on the screening status of the individuals in attendance during the reporting year and shall include in the report any other information required by the Board of Health. The report shall be on a form prescribed by the health department and submitted according to the Board of Health rules. Health and Safety Code 36.006; 25 TAC 37.26(c)(3); 25 TAC 37.148(m)
Adopted: 7/13/79
Amended: 11/11/83, 9/21/84, 5/30/86, 3/10/88, 11/17/95, 1/24/02
Reviewed:
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