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Our mission is to graduate 100 percent of our students, college and career ready.

5011 Student Diabetes and Management

For purposes of this policy, these terms have the following definitions:

“Diabetes medical management plan” means the document a student’s personal health care team develops that identifies the health services the student may need at school.

“Personal health care team” means the team responsible for managing a student’s diabetes and includes the principal or designee, the school nurse (if assigned to the school), the assistant, if any, the parent or guardian of the student, and to the extent practicable, the physician responsible for the student’s diabetes treatment.

“School nurse” means a certified school nurse, a registered nurse contracting with the district or a public health nurse.

“Volunteer diabetes care assistant” means a district employee who has volunteered to be a diabetes care assistant and successfully completed the training required by this policy and state law.

Any district employee aware of a student who has diabetes-related needs while at school or while participating in school activities will promptly advise the principal or designee. The parent of any student who will have diabetes- related needs at school or in school activities should promptly advise the school principal or designee.

A personal health care team will develop a written Diabetes Medical Management Plan (“Plan”) for each student who will seek care for diabetes while at school or while participating in a school activity. The Plan will identify the health services the student may need at school. Each member of the student’s personal health care team, including the parent, will sign the Plan. The personal health care team will review the Plan at least annually. The school nurse at the school in which the student is enrolled, if any, will assist the student with the management of his or her diabetes care as provided in the Plan. If the school does not have an assigned school nurse, the principal will make a reasonable effort to find one or more district employees willing to serve as a volunteer diabetes care assistant (“Assistant”) to assist the student with diabetes care as provided in the student’s Plan. The principal will make a reasonable effort to ensure that a school nurse or Assistant is available at the school to assist the student when needed. The district will not restrict the assignment of a student with diabetes to a particular school based on the presence of a school nurse or assistant.

District personnel will request that the parent provide written authorization for the school nurse or assistant to have access to the student’s physician at all times. The district will maintain the Plan and related documentation as student health records.

Before undertaking responsibilities as an assistant, a volunteer must first complete training provided by the school nurse or the State Department of Health in accordance with the Act. The training will include instruction in the following:

•                      Recognizing the symptoms of hypoglycemia and hyperglycemia;

•                      Understanding the proper action to take if the student’s blood glucose is outside the range indicated in the Plan;

•                      Understanding the details of the Plan;

•                      Performing finger sticks to check blood glucose levels, check urine ketone levels and record the results of those checks;

•                      Properly administering insulin and glucagon and recording the results of the administration;

•                      Recognizing complications that require the assistant to seek emergency assistance; and

•                      Understanding the recommended schedules and food intake for the student’s meals and snacks, the effect of physical activity on blood glucose and the proper action to be taken if the student’s schedule is disrupted.

To continue as an Assistant, the volunteer must annually demonstrate competency in the above training. The school nurse, principal or designee will maintain a copy of the training guidelines and the records associated with the training.

With parent permission, the district will provide each district employee responsible for supervising or transporting a student with diabetes a form with the following information:

•          Student’s name;

•          Telephone number of a contact person in case of an emergency involving the student; and

•          Potential emergencies that may occur due to the diabetes and appropriate responses to such emergencies. Any district employee provided the above information will be informed of applicable health privacy policies.

In accordance with his or her individual Plan and this policy, a student may attend to the management of his or her diabetes, which may include:

•          Performing blood glucose level checks;

•          Administering insulin through the student’s insulin delivery system;

•          Treating hypoglycemia and hyperglycemia;

•          Unless changed in accordance with this policy, possessing on his or her person at any time, any supplies or specialized equipment necessary to monitor and care for his or her diabetes; and

•          Otherwise attending to the management of his or her diabetes in the classroom, any area of the school or grounds, or at any school related activity.

The school administration will provide a private area where the student can attend to his or her diabetes-related needs.

If a student uses a device providing continuous glucose monitoring with electronic access to glucose numbers, a school nurse, diabetes care assistant, or other school staff may access electronically monitored glucose numbers for the student with written permission of the student’s parent or guardian. To monitor glucose numbers, staff members with appropriate permissions may download the necessary electronic application(s) or software to access electronically monitored glucose numbers to a school electronic device, or their personal electronic device in the absence of a school-provided device.

A school nurse, diabetes care assistant, or other school staff shall not be responsible for and shall not be subject to disciplinary action for lack of any monitoring of electronic glucose numbers outside of school hours or school- sponsored activities.

Students who manage their diabetes and personally possess the necessary specialized equipment and supplies under this policy are prohibited from sharing or playing with their equipment or supplies. If a student engages in these activities, the parent will be contacted and a meeting of the personal health care team will be scheduled. The district is not responsible for safeguarding the specialized equipment or supplies of a student who personally possesses those items.

Students with diabetes are encouraged to wear Medic Alert bracelets or necklaces.

No district employee will be subject to any penalty or disciplinary action for refusing to serve as an assistant. No district employee will be subject to any disciplinary proceeding resulting from any action taken in compliance with this policy. Any employee acting in accordance with this policy and law will be immune from civil liability unless the employee’s actions rise to the level of reckless or intentional conduct. A school nurse will not be held responsible or subject to disciplinary action for the actions of an assistant.

The District will provide in either digital or printed format type 1 diabetes informational materials to parents/ guardians of students when a student is initially enrolled in the District and when the student enters 6th grade. The diabetes informational materials provided will conform to the type 1 diabetes informational materials to be developed by the Oklahoma State Department of Education.

Reference: OKLA. STAT. tit. 70, § 1210.196

Adopted 12/9/2024