Contact Us

Eva Stone, APRN
Manager, District Health
(502) 485-3387
eva.stone@jefferson.kyschools.us

About Us

The Health Services and the Health Promotion Schools of Excellence (HPSE) Department collaborate to remove health-related barriers to learning and promote healthy lifestyles.

Illness Guidelines

School attendance is necessary for students to be successful. Students who attend school regularly have been shown to achieve at higher levels than students who do not have regular attendance. Therefore, it is important to follow public health guidance to ensure that children are encouraged to be at school.

Students only need to stay home from school if any of the following exist:

Medications

Before a single dose of medication can be administered to a student in a JCPS school or on a field trip, appropriate authorization must be on file.

Authorization forms are valid only for the current school year.

Written authorization from the healthcare provider must be submitted any time a medication-related change occurs (e.g., a change in dosage or the time the medication should be taken).

JCPS cannot accept written or verbal requests from parents for medication administration or any medication-related changes.

The time the medication is administered must be specified for all daily medications.

Authorization forms must be signed by the parent/guardian, and healthcare providers must also sign over-the-counter medications.

Permission Form for Prescribed or Over-the-Counter Medication (PDF)

Medical provider signature needed when:

  • An over-the-counter medication will be given more than three days in a row, or

  • If the student will be self-carrying a medication

Medication Procedures

District policy requires all medications to be kept in a safe, locked, secure place, except for emergency medications and those approved for students to self-carry.

The parent/caregiver should bring all medications to school in the original, labeled container. School staff should be contacted if there are difficulties getting medicines to the school.

Once medications arrive at the school, they must be counted by Health Services trained staff and documented on the Medication Administration Record (MAR).

All medications must be documented upon administration to the student.

School Health Plans

School Health Plans (SHPs) are needed for each student with a known health condition. The form must be signed by both the parent/guardian and the healthcare provider to be valid. Forms are kept at students’ schools and provide individual emergency plans. An additional authorization form may be needed to administer medication. Each form submitted to a school also must be faxed to Health Services at (502) 485-3670.

District staff members may not provide health services for a student without the proper form on file for the current school year.

Any health service provided for a student must be documented. Use the Health Services Log.

Field Trip Information

If a student requires medication during a field trip, school staff members must complete the Health Services Medication Administration Training for Unlicensed School Personnel. If any medications—including EpiPens, inhalers, Diastat, or Glucagon—are taken during a field trip, a trained staff member must accompany the student. It is the school’s responsibility to provide this staff member. Health Services training is valid only for the current school year. Check pdCentral for a list of training dates.

If the field trip is out of county/state or is overnight, contact Health Services and fax the field trip approval form to (502) 485-3670 at least 2 weeks (14 days) before the field trip.

Diabetes Information

For more information on diabetes, visit the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF) website.

School Health Requirements

According to Kentucky state regulations and Jefferson County Board of Education (JCBE) policy, students must meet various health requirements.

Families are encouraged to have a regular medical provider for their children. If you do not have health insurance for your child and need help to see if they are eligible for Medicaid or the Kentucky Children's Health Insurance Program (KCHIP), please contact the nurse or Family Resource and Youth Services Center (FRYSC) coordinator for your school. If your child is eligible for free/reduced-price lunch at school, they may qualify for Medicaid or KCHIP.

For those without health insurance or no regular healthcare provider, arrangements can be made for these services to be provided at school by JCPS nurse practitioners and school nurses. Please contact the nurse at school or the Health Services Office for scheduling. Staff cannot do the eye examination, but vouchers are available for those families who qualify.

All school health services are essential to support student success. Please return a completed school nurse office consent each year so your child(ren) can be seen and cared for. Parents are notified before any regular health screening is completed.

Immunization Requirements

Every JCPS student must have a current Kentucky State Immunization Certificate on file within two weeks of starting school. Students who enroll in State-Funded Pre-K Programs must also have a current Kentucky State Immunization Certificate on file prior to attending a JCPS school or riding on a JCPS bus. Students will not be placed in an Early Childhood Program without these forms.

Physical Exams

Students need proof of a physical exam completed on a Kentucky Preventative Exam Form:

  • For placement in an Early Childhood Program. (Students must have a yearly physical exam.)

  • For kindergarten—if the student did not have one for Early Childhood within the last year.

  • For sixth grade—students must have a physical exam within a year of starting sixth grade.

The exam form must be on file within two months after the student starts attending a JCPS school.

Athletic (Sports) Physicals

Eye Exams

Students ages 3, 4, 5, or 6 years old entering JCPS for the first time must complete an eye exam by January 1 of the year the student is enrolled. This is a one-time-only requirement.

An ophthalmologist or optometrist must complete this exam, which is not part of the physical exam.

Proof of the exam must be submitted on the Kentucky Vision Examination Form.

Dental Screening or Exam

Students ages 5 or 6 entering JCPS for the first time must complete a dental screening or exam by January 1 of the year the student is enrolled. This is a one-time-only requirement. A dentist can complete this screening. If you do not have dental health insurance or a regular dental provider, please contact the nurse at your school. A Registered Nurse can complete this exam, and arrangements can be made to have it done at school.

Proof of the exam must be submitted on the Kentucky Dental Screening/Examination Form.

Screening Programs

Elementary school students participate in vision and hearing screenings during the school year. Health is very important to ensure your child(ren) is at their best for learning. Vision and Hearing screenings are critical to support academic success. Please return the school nurse's office consent so that your child(ren) can participate in these screenings.

State-funded preschools also provide health screenings, including growth assessment, vision and hearing screening, and assessments of current immunization status and general health.

Early Childhood Health Requirements

State regulations mandate the JCPS Early Childhood Program to ensure that all students are healthy and ready to learn.

The following exams are required:

  • Current immunization certificate

  • Physical exam

  • Dental screening/exam (5- to 6-year-old children only)

Health Screenings

Per Kentucky regulation, JCPS Health Services is required to offer various screenings to students. Schools will be contacted to schedule a screening date and will be supplied all the information needed. Non-consent forms are sent to all parents and should be completed if they do not wish for their child to participate. The JCPS Health Services Department will notify parents if their child fails a screening or if the student could not be tested for some reason. 

Physicals

Families are encouraged to schedule appointments with their primary care provider for exams.

The following documents should be completed, signed by the parent/guardian, and brought to the physical exam.

If you have any questions, please call your school nurse or the JCPS Health Services office at (502) 485-3387 to speak with health service staff.

Hearing Screenings

These screenings are performed for elementary students based on school needs and program requirement as well as Exceptional Child Education (ECE) self-contained students. The screenings also are performed for students who have been referred by a teacher.

Vision Screenings

Vision screenings are also performed for students based on district policy/procedures, school needs, and program requirements.

Community Health Centers

Louisville, Kentucky

These clinics take patients, and the cost is a sliding scale based on income. They also accept Medicaid and private insurance. They have an advantage over free clinics because students/families can establish a medical home with a primary care provider.

Whole School, Whole Community, Whole Child

The Health Services team administers mandatory health screenings and related services. It implements the HPSE Program to support and train schools in implementing the Whole School, Whole Community, Whole Child  (WSCC) model.

The WSCC model aligns health and education to improve students' cognitive, physical, social, and emotional development and is made up of 10 components: Health Services, Physical Education, Nutrition, Employee Wellness, Family Engagement, Counseling, Health Education, Physical Environment, Community Involvement, and Social and Emotional Climate.