BY: STAFF REPORT | BocaNewsNow.com
BOCA RATON, FL (BocaNewsNow.com) (Copyright © 2022 MetroDesk Media, LLC) — The Palm Beach County School Board is preparing to approve a new policy for students who are diabetic or have any other reason to monitor glucose during the day. The policy brings the school district into compliance with Florida statute, and permits students to — quite simply — do what they have to do, provided teachers are told in advance.
We are publishing the text of the new policy, below. It is expected to be passed during the School Board’s January 18th meeting. To parents: if anything in the policy stands out as troublesome, please use the form below to alert BocaNewsNow.com.
OFFICIAL LANGUAGE FROM PROPOSED POLICY:
Pursuant to Fla. Stat. § 1006.062(4)(c), students with diabetes mellitus (insulin-dependent or non-insulin-dependent) or recurrent hypoglycemia have the right to monitor their blood sugar levels, or to have such levels monitored, during the school day as ordered by their physician.
The purpose of blood glucose monitoring is to obtain information needed for appropriate decisions regarding the balance of insulin, food, and exercise for the student.
Parents/guardians have the responsibility to notify the school administration in advance, pursuant to Board Policy 5.321, that their child will use a glucose monitoring device. Each student who will use a monitoring device has the responsibility of showing it to his/her teachers and school administrators at the beginning of the school year (or later time corresponding with beginning to use the device at school), and the device should be labeled with the student’s name and other information consistent with Policy 5.321.
The Superintendent shall annually direct school principals to notify assistant principals and teachers of the students who will use glucose monitoring devices in their school. Applicable personnel are to be trained, as deemed appropriate by the Superintendent, concerning identification of blood glucose monitoring devices.
The student, school nurse, or other personnel trained pursuant to section (7) below, will perform the monitoring. If a student will perform the monitoring, he or she shall be assessed by the school nurse for adequate knowledge and skill in all aspects of blood glucose monitoring. Students performing self- monitoring shall be under the supervision of the school nurse or other personnel trained according to section (7) below.
The school principal/designee shall identify at least two personnel to be trained in accordance with section (7) herein, as backup for the school nurse in order to supervise and/or perform monitoring of blood glucose for students with diabetes or recurrent hypoglycemia.
Do you support this policy? Are there problems with the policy? Use the form, below, to alert BocaNewsNow.com.
