5023: Student Illness
Students who suffer from a significant illness which has an actual or expected duration of six months or more may be eligible for accommodations and supports under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act or under the Individuals with Disabilities in Education Act. The ESU and/or his or her resident school district will provide accommodations to students who are returning to the ESU or an ESU program after a prolonged absence due to illness, including pediatric cancer, through a 504 plan or an IEP, as appropriate. The student’s plan will include informal or formal accommodations, modifications of curriculum and monitoring by medical or academic staff as determined by the student’s IEP team or 504 committee. Parents and staff will engage in ongoing communication about the needs of a student who is facing these circumstances.
Students who become ill at school will be sent to the program administrator’s office where the nurse or other ESU employee will determine the appropriate response. When a child is too ill to remain at the program, an ESU employee will contact the child’s parent(s) and make arrangements for the child to be picked up or sent home. If an illness or injury requires immediate medical attention, ESU officials shall attempt to contact the child’s parent(s) regarding treatment for the child. If the parents cannot be contacted, ESU officials may have the child treated by an available physician. Students who show symptoms of a contagious disease may be sent home, and the ESU may require a physician’s statement before allowing such students to return to the ESU or its program.
Parents must complete an emergency information card for each child enrolled in an ESU program. The card should list the family physician’s name, where parents or a responsible adult can be located, and any necessary emergency instructions.
Adopted on: June 8, 2009
Revised on: May 13, 2019
Reviewed on: November 14, 2011
Reviewed on: June 12, 2023