Flour Bluff I.S.D. Student Health Services supports the education of all students by collaborating with families and medical providers to meet the needs of students and staff while promoting health and wellness in the learning community.
A school nurse is available at each campus throughout the school day, in case of illness or accident. The nurse reviews immunization records and provides state-mandated screenings. Nurses administer first-aid but do not diagnose illness. Emergency medical information is required for each student. Every effort is made to locate parents in the event of an emergency. Parents must therefore provide a current address and telephone number, so that they may be reached. The district is required to have emergency information on file.
When your child is ill, please contact the attendance office to let us know he or she won’t be attending that day. It is important to remember that schools must exclude students with certain illnesses from school for periods of time as identified in state rules. For example, if your child has a fever of 100 degrees, he or she must stay out of school until fever free for 24 hours without fever-reducing medications. A full list of conditions for which the school must exclude children can be obtained from the school nurse.
If a student becomes ill during the school day, he or she must receive permission from the teacher before reporting to the school nurse. If the nurse determines that the child should go home, a parent/guardian will be notified.
The district is also required to report certain contagious (communicable) diseases or illnesses to the Texas Department of State Health Services (TDSHS) or our local/regional health authority. The school nurse can provide information from TDSHS on these notifiable conditions.
Contact the school nurse if you have questions or if you are concerned about whether or not your child should stay home.
Flour Bluff ISD offers many extracurricular opportunities for your child to participate in after school. In the secondary grade levels (7th-12th grades), generally there are licensed athletic trainers on hand during football and track practice to assist with medical treatment should the need arise. However, they are not available during practice with other activities. In the lower grades (1st-6th grades), school employed nurses and/or trainers are not available to assist a child after regular school hours. All medication provided to the school nurse for use during school hours will be locked in the nurse’s office and will not be available after school hours. Please keep this in mind as you consider your child’s health and whether or not to allow your child to participate in extracurricular activities.
It is sometimes necessary for specialized health care procedures to be provided by school district personnel to meet the needs of a student diagnosed with acute and/or chronic health conditions as per doctor's orders. Please discuss with your campus nurse if these services are needed.
Please keep the nurses' office informed of any changes to your student's health so that we can give each student the best possible care while at school.
Student medication may be administered at the health room, under the following guidelines:
The administration of any medication containing a narcotic is discouraged during school hours. If a student requires medication of this type for pain, it is recommended that he/she remain at home until a milder form of medication is indicated. It is highly recommended that parents do not administer narcotics before school due to safety issues at school.
To ensure student safety, please remember that all medications (prescription & non-prescription) must be brought to school by a parent. Please be prepared to spend a certain amount of time, usually between 5- 15 minutes, when dropping off a medication, because:
Students who demonstrate signs and symptoms of illness or a possible communicable disease should be referred to the school nurse's office for further assessment. Those with an elevated temperature of 100 degrees or above, vomiting or with diarrhea must be isolated and sent home. The student must be fever free without fever-reducing medication for 24 hours before he/she can be allowed back in school. Those excluded due to vomiting or diarrhea must also be free of symptoms without the use of preventative medications before being allowed back in school.
Head lice, although not an illness or a disease, is very common among children and is spread very easily through head-to-head contact during play, sports, or nap time and when children share things like brushes, combs, hats, and headphones. Because lice spread so easily, the district will need to exclude any student found to have live lice until after one treatment of an FDA-approved shampoo or cream rinse, which can be purchased from a drug store or grocery store.
If careful observation indicates that a student has head lice, the school nurse will contact the student’s parent and inform the parent that the child will need to be picked up from school and will need to stay home until after an initial treatment is applied. After the student has undergone the treatment, the parent should check in with the school nurse to discuss the treatment used. The nurse can also offer additional recommendations, including subsequent treatments and how best to get rid of lice and prevent their return. More information on head lice can be obtained from the TDSHS website.
Caring for children with diagnosed food allergies at-risk for anaphylaxis in the school setting requires a collaborative partnership with the students, parents, healthcare providers and school staff. FBISD requests to be notified each school year when a student has been diagnosed with a food allergy, especially those allergies that could result in dangerous or 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. Flour Bluff ISD has a Food Allergy Management Plan in place to assist students who are identified with a serious food allergy. You may access this plan by calling your school nurse or campus principal.
If you have any questions, please contact Dr. Alicia Needham, Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction at 694-9220. See also board policy FFAF.
Guidelines and Procedures For SELF-ADMINISTRATION OF PRESCRIPTION ASTHMA MEDICINE OR ANAPHYLAXIS MEDICINE BY STUDENTS
According to SECTION I. Chapter 38, Sec. 38.013 of the Education Code, a student with asthma and/or anaphylaxis is entitled to possess and self-administer prescription asthma or anaphylaxis medicine while on school property or at a school-related event or activity, provided that certain criteria are met. In an effort to meet student needs and still maintain a safe environment with regard to medications in the school setting, the following procedures have been developed and incorporated into Administrative Regulation FFAC (LEGAL).
A form titled Parent/Physician Authorization for Self-Administration of Asthma Medication or Anaphylaxis Medicine by A Student, must be completed and kept on file with the campus nurse before a student can possess and self-administer his/her asthma or anaphylaxis medication.
All required documentation will be kept on file in the school clinic and must be renewed annually.
Teachers will be notified of those students in their class who have asthma or anaphylaxis medication in their possession.
Students who do not self-administer their medication in compliance with the prescription or written instructions from their physician, or fail to report to the campus nurse when relief is not obtained after using their medication as directed, will not be able to continue to possess his/her asthma or anaphylaxis medication and self-administer it for the remainder of the school year. Students may also be subject to other disciplinary action as written in the Student Code of Conduct.
Tips for Preventing the Spread of Flu
*Please notify your campus nurse if your student has been diagnosed by a physician with meningitis. Please provide the type of meningitis, if known.
State law specifically requires the District to provide the following information:
What is meningitis?
Meningitis is an inflammation of the covering of the brain and spinal cord. It can be caused by viruses, parasites, fungi, and bacteria. Viral meningitis is most common and the least serious. Bacterial meningitis is the most common form of serious bacterial infection with the potential for serious, long-term complications. It is an uncommon disease, but requires urgent treatment with antibiotics to prevent permanent damage or death.
What are the symptoms?
Someone with meningitis will become very ill. The illness may develop over one or two days, but it can also rapidly progress in a matter of hours. Not everyone with meningitis will have the same symptoms. Children (over 1 year old) and adults with meningitis may have a severe headache, high temperature, vomiting, sensitivity to bright lights, neck stiffness or joint pains, and drowsiness or confusion. In both children and adults, there may be a rash of tiny, red-purple spots. These can occur anywhere on the body. The diagnosis of bacterial meningitis is based on a combination of symptoms and laboratory results.
How serious is bacterial meningitis?
If it is diagnosed early and treated promptly, the majority of people make a complete recovery. In some cases it can be fatal or a person may be left with a permanent disability.
How is bacterial meningitis spread?
Fortunately, none of the bacteria that cause meningitis are as contagious as diseases like the common cold or the flu, and they are not spread by casual contact or by simply breathing the air where a person with meningitis has been. The germs live naturally in the back of our noses and throats, but they do not live for long outside the body. They are spread when people exchange saliva (such as by kissing; sharing drinking containers, utensils, or cigarettes). The germ does not cause meningitis in most people. Instead, most people become carriers of the germ for days, weeks, or even months. The bacteria rarely overcome the body’s immune system and cause meningitis or another serious illness.
How can bacterial meningitis be prevented?
Do not share food, drinks, utensils, toothbrushes, or cigarettes. Limit the number of persons you kiss.
While there are vaccines for some other strains of bacterial meningitis, they are used only in special circumstances. These include when there is a disease outbreak in a community or for people traveling to a country where there is a high risk of getting the disease. Also, a vaccine is recommended by some groups for college students, particularly freshmen living in dorms or residence halls. The vaccine is safe and effective (85–90 percent). It can cause mild side effects, such as redness and pain at the injection site lasting up to two days. Immunity develops within seven to ten days after the vaccine is given and lasts for up to five years.*
What should you do if you think you or a friend might have bacterial meningitis?
You should seek prompt medical attention.
Where can you get more information?
Your school nurse, family doctor, and the staff at your local or regional health department office are excellent sources for information on all communicable diseases. You may also call your local health department or Regional Texas Department of Health office to ask about meningococcal vaccine. Additional information may also be found at the websites for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the Department of State Health Services.
Entering college students must now show, with limited exception, evidence of receiving bacterial meningitis vaccination prior to taking courses at an institution of higher education. Please see the school nurse for more information, as this may affect a student who wishes to enroll in a dual credit course taken off campus.
Also refer to Immunizations, for more information see FFAD (LEGAL)
Jennifer Pogue, RN
Early Childhood Center
361-694-9073
jpogue@flourbluffschools.net
Lauren Garcia, RN
Primary School
361-694-9647
lgarcia@flourbluffschools.net
Cheryl Navar, RN
Elementary School
361-694-9560
cnavar@flourbluffschools.net
Dawn Evans, RN
Intermediate School
361-694-9468
devans@flourbluffschools.net
Tiffany Spencer, LVN
Junior High School
361-694-9388
tspencer@flourbluffschools.net
Sylvia Wilson
High School
361-694-9188
swilson@flourbluffschools.net
Kristen LaBaume, RN
High School
361-694-9854
klabaume@flourbluffschools.net
Dr. Linda Barganski
Director of Special Programs
361-694-9223
lbarganski@flourbluffschools.net