"Healthy Children Learn Better, School Nurses Make it Happen!"

School nursing, a specialized practice of nursing, protects and promotes student health, facilitates optimal development, and advances academic success. School nurses, grounded in ethical and evidence-based practice, are the leaders who bridge health care and education, provide care coordination, advocate for quality student-centered care, and collaborate to design systems that allow individuals and communities to develop their full potentials.

 ~Approved by the NASN Board of Directors in Feb. 2017.

 David Thein, MBA, BSN, RN
District Health Services Coordinator
204 Wright Ave., Schertz, TX 78154

P(210) 945-6019
F(210) 945-6846 

Immunization rules, Illnesses and Medications at a Glance 

Students are required by the Texas Department of State Health Services to be up to date in their childhood immunizations. No student will be allowed to enter school until these requirements are met. For new students to SCUCISD, you will be required to show proof of these immunizations. For returning students, please be aware that a notice will go home with your student when immunizations are due. Please be prompt in complying with the immunization request. For a list of immunizations required by grade, see the Texas Minimum State Vaccine Requirements for Students Grades K-12 OR see your campus school nurse.                                 

Medications:

1. A parent’s signature is required for all medications (prescription and non-prescription/over the counter) which are needed at school. For prescription medications taken longer than 10 school days, a physician’s signature is required as well.  All medication authorizations should be renewed yearly.
2. Medication authorization forms are located here and on each campus in the nurse’s office.
3. All medications are to be brought into school by an adult and in their original container or prescription bottle. For prescription medications, please request your pharmacist to separate the prescriptions into two bottles, one for school and one for home.
4. Students are NOT allowed to have medication in their possession on school grounds unless prior authorization was given by your campus nurse or principal. If your child has an asthma inhaler, diabetic supplies, or an Epi-pen please see your campus nurse to discuss your child’s health plan.
5. It is important that the school nurse be made aware of your child’s medical needs/conditions. For your child’s safety, please make sure you discuss these with your child’s school nurse.

Illness:

1. Students with fever of 100.0 (per Texas Administrative Code §97.7(b)) or higher, persistent cough, or other COVID symptoms will be sent home from school in order to prevent the spread of illnesses to other students as mandated by the Texas Department of State Health Services. Current guidance from CDC is that any student who tests positive for COVID-19 must remain out 24 hours after fever resolves and at least 5 days from the start of symptoms or date of positive test.  We will update parents with the latest information as soon as we receive it.  
2. Students who are ill with vomiting or diarrhea should stay home from school and return only when these symptoms have resolved without medications. Exclusion periods will be decided on a case by case basis by the campus nurse, with direction from DSHS and the district medical consultant.
3. If your child is not feeling well, please keep them home. While we want students in school, we also must help prevent the spread of common childhood illnesses, so let's work together to make school a safe, healthy place for all.

Emergencies:

It is critical that we have parent/guardian’s updated phone numbers. Please contact the school immediately with any changes in phone numbers. We recommend parent/guardians identify a relative, neighbor, or family friend that can be an emergency contact in case a child needs to be picked up urgently and the parent can not be reached. 

Texas Minimum State Immunization Requirements for Students

Please note: Related forms are located at the bottom of this page.

Requirements are as follows:
DPT/DTaP/DT/Td/Tdap: For K – 6th grade: 5 doses of diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis vaccine; 1 dose must have been received on or after the 4th birthday. However, 4 doses meet the requirement if the 4th dose was received on or after the 4th birthday. For students aged 7 years and older, 3 doses meet the requirement if 1 dose was received on or after the 4th birthday. 

For 7th grade: 1 dose of Tdap is required if at least 5 years have passed since the last dose of tetanus-containing vaccine. 

For 8th – 12th grade: 1 dose of Tdap is required when 10 years have passed since the last dose of tetanus-containing vaccine. Td is acceptable in place of Tdap if a medical contraindication to pertussis exists.

Polio (IPV):  For K – 12th grade: 4 doses of polio; 1 dose must be received on or after the 4th birthday. However, 3 doses meet the requirement if the 3rd dose was received on or after the 4th birthday.

Measles, Mumps, and Rubella (MMR) For K — 12 grade: 2 doses are required, with the 1st dose received on or after the 1st birthday. Students vaccinated prior to 2009 with 2 doses of measles and one dose each of rubella and mumps satisfy this requirement.

HIB  One (1) dose required if administered after 15 months of age. A series of 4 if given under the age of 15 months. Vaccine not required for students 5 years of age or older.

Hep A Two (2) doses required with 1st dose received on or after 1st birthday for children PreK - 12th grade; Second dose will be required 6 months to 18 months after the first dose.   

Hep B  Three (3) doses required of all children PK -12 grades.

Varicella  Two (2) doses required with the 1st dose received on or after 1st birthday all children Kindergarten - 12th grade.  If first dose of vaccine administered after 13th birthday, student is required to have two doses.

Pneumococcal Conjugate (PCV7) Three (3) doses required w/ last dose on or after 12 months of age. If two (2) doses received w/ first prior to 12 months of age and last on or after 12 months of age—booster required. If two (2) doses received w/ first on or after 12 months of age and second received before 24 months of age—no booster required. If no PCV7 received between ages 24-59 months of age—booster required.
 
Meningococcal Conjugate (MCV4) One (1) dose required for all 7th - 12th grade students.  
  
Exceptions to Requirements:

• Receipt of the dose up to (and including) 4 days before the birthday will satisfy the school entry immunization requirement.
  
  
• Serological confirmation of immunity to measles, mumps, rubella, Hepatitis A, Hepatitis
  
  B, or Varicella, or serological evidence of infection is acceptable in lieu of vaccine.
• Two doses of adult Hepatitis B vaccine (Recombivax is acceptable.) Dosage and type of vaccine must be clearly documented. (Two 10mcg./1.0 ml of Recombivax).
  
  
• Serologic proof of immunity of previous documentation of previous Varicella (chicken
  pox) illness may substitute for vaccination. Previous illness may be documented with a
  written statement from a physician, school nurse, or the child’s parent or guardian
  containing words such as: “This is to verify that (name of student) had Varicella disease
  (chicken pox) on or about (date) and does not need Varicella vaccine.”
  
  
• Hepatitis A vaccine is required for students attending a school located in a high incidence
  geographical area designated by the Texas Department of Health. Thirty-nine counties
  are affected by the Hepatitis A requirement, including Bexar County.

Exemptions:
The law allows (a) physician to write a statement stating that the vaccine(s) required would be medically harmful or injurious to the health and well-being of the child, and (b)
parents/guardians to choose an exemption from immunization requirements for reasons of
conscience, including religious belief. The law does not allow parents/guardians to elect an
exemption simply because of inconvenience (a record is lost or incomplete and it is too much
trouble to go to a physician or clinic to correct the problem).

For children needing medical exemptions, a written statement (or medical immunization
exemption form obtained from the school nurse) should be completed by the child’s physician
and submitted to the school. This exemption must be renewed yearly at the beginning of each
new school year unless the physician documents the exemption is due to a lifelong condition.

Instructions for the affidavit to be signed by parents/guardians choosing the exemption for
reasons of conscience, including a religious belief can be found at www.ImmunizeTexas.com or
http://www.dshs.state.tx.us/immunize/school/school_exclusion.shtm.

Students with exemptions can be excluded from attending school if an outbreak occurs.

Provisional:
All immunizations should be completed by the first date of attendance. The law requires that
students be fully vaccinated against the specified diseases. A student may be enrolled
provisionally, if the student has an immunization record that indicates the student has received
at least one dose of each specified age-appropriate vaccine required by this rule. To
remain enrolled, the student must complete the required subsequent doses in each vaccine series
on schedule and as rapidly as is medically feasible and provide acceptable evidence of
vaccination to the school. A school nurse or school administrator shall review the immunization
status of a provisionally enrolled student every 30 days to ensure continued compliance in
completing the required doses of vaccination. If, at the end of the 30 day period, a student has
not received a subsequent dose of vaccine, the student is not in compliance and the school shall
exclude the student from school attendance until the required dose is administered.

Documentation:
Since many types of personal immunization records are in use, any documentation will be
acceptable provided a physician or public health personnel have validated it. The month, day
and year that the vaccination was received must be recorded on all school immunization
recreated or updated after September 1, 1991.

The district requests to be notified when a student has been diagnosed with a food allergy, especially those allergies that could result in dangerous or possibly life threatening reactions either by inhalation, ingestion, or skin contact with the particular food.  It is important to disclose the food to which the student is allergic, as well as the nature of the allergic reaction.  Please contact the school nurse or campus principal if your child has a known food allergy, or as soon as possible after any diagnosis of a food allergy.  

MHM:  School Based Health Center

Methodist Healthcare Ministries' School Based Health Centers offer a comprehensive range of services to children enrolled in the Marion and Schertz-Cibolo-Universal City Independent School Districts, as well as their siblings up to age 21.

Methodist Healthcare Ministries is the largest, faith-based, not-for-profit funding source for community healthcare services to low-income families and the uninsured in South Texas.

MHM School Based Healthcare Center contact information: