Health Services

At various times throughout the academic year, TSC health offices may serve as a clinical site for students of nursing and other healthcare disciplines to allow those students, under the direction of a TSC RN, to observe and learn about the school nurse role. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact your school's health office staff.

Medication Administration

Medication Requirements

All prescription and over-the-counter (OTC) medications must be FDA-approved and will be kept in the school health office. Your child may not carry any medication at school. All prescription and Over-The-Counter (OTC) medications must be in the original container with the current pharmacy or package, labeled correctly with the most current date, student’s name, dosage, frequency and match the current doctor’s orders on file with the health office. At no time will medications be transported by a student. Any change in prescription medication, dosage or time to be given must be in written form from the parent with an accompanying doctor’s order.

Written permission with instructions from the parent/guardian are required for all prescription and OTC medications. Permission forms are available at your school's health office and in the button marked Health Services Forms.

Emergency Medications

Your child may not carry any medication at school, with the exception of inhalers, diabetic supplies and epinephrine (Epipen). These emergency medications may be carried only with written permission from your child's physician and from the parent/guardian.

Students will keep emergency medications in the nurse’s office unless the school receives a physician’s note indicating the medication should be carried by the student. This physician's note will need to be updated and provided to the school annually. Students administering emergency medications outside of the nurse’s office will report to the nurse that the medication was administered.

Return of Medications to Parent/Guardian

Medications must be picked up in the health office by a parent, guardian, or designee who is at least 18 years old and with written permission from the parent/guardian. Medications (with the exception of emergency medications with permit to carry) CANNOT be sent to school or sent home with a student. Failure to comply with this may result in disciplinary action for your child

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Health Services Protocol: Exclusion From School and/or Return to School

This protocol reflects IC 20-34-3-9. Additionally, this protocol is to be used in conjunction with Indiana State Department of Health Communicable Disease Reference Guide for School Personnel. According to IC 20-34-3-9: If a child is ill, has a communicable disease, or is infested with parasites, the School Principal may send the child home. The Principal designee for health-related issues is the School Nurse. In the event that the School Nurse is not available, the Principal or Administrator will make necessary decisions. A student may be referred to the school nurse by a staff member, a parent, or per self.

General Principles for Sending a Student Home

Exclusion from school may be warranted when: 

• An illness or injury impacts the educational process for the student. The illness or injury creates or contributes to an unsafe and/or unhealthy educational environment.
• The illness or injury requires care or observation that cannot be managed at school.

The following symptoms may warrant a student being sent home from school:

• Fever greater than or equal to 100 F
• Diarrhea and/or vomiting
  • With vomiting and diarrhea, clinic personnel will evaluate any associated circumstances and other symptoms before making an exclusion decision.
  • Children may vomit for reasons other than illness, including coughing, stress, exertion, reflux and food intolerance.
• Rash without a fever
• Difficulty breathing
• Uncontrolled cough
• Uncontrolled pain
• Drainage from eyes and/or nose
• Live head lice

Parents may be notified if their student is exhibiting the following symptoms: fever of 100 F or higher, conjunctivitis (pink eye), disruptive cough, diarrhea, severe stomach, head, or ear pain, vomiting, itchy or draining rashes, extreme fatigue,significant injury, or live head lice. The Nurse or school designee will assess the student and contact parent/guardian for transportation home, as deemed necessary. The student will be released to the parent/or guardian or emergency contact person provided by the parent/ guardian.

Notification of other clinic visits to parents will be at the discretion of clinic personnel. Non-urgent communication with parents regarding a student’s clinic visit may be via phone call or email. Students who are seen in the clinic and do not have symptoms warranting a phone call to a parent for transportation home will be returned to class to finish the school day.

Criteria that may be used to determine if a student may return to school include:

• Fever free for at least 24 hours (since last temperature over 100°), without the use of fever reducing medication
• Free of vomiting and diarrhea for 24 hours (after the last episode) of vomiting or diarrhea and able to tolerate his/her normal diet.
• If the illness is communicable and requires medication intervention, the student has been on the medication for 24 hours, or as directed by a licensed medical provider, before returning to school.
• If a student is sent home for live head lice, the student may return to school after home treatment is complete and after being cleared by school personnel.
• The student is able to participate in normal school activities without fatigue, pain, headache, fever, or relapse of symptoms.
  • If a student will have restrictions related to PE, recess, band/choir, or athletics, a note from a licensed medical provider may be requested.
    • The note should list the restrictions and anticipated duration of the restrictions (dates, number of days, etc).
• The school may request a note from a licensed medical provider verifying that the student is medically cleared to return to school.
  • In the event that a student is absent due to serious illness, hospitalization, accident or injury, or surgery, the note should include any restrictions, or changes in care, that the student may have upon return to school and the anticipated duration of those restrictions or changes.
    • If a student will have restrictions related to PE, recess, band/choir, or athletics, the note should list the restrictions and anticipated duration of the restrictions (dates, number of days, etc).
    • It is the responsibility of the parent/guardian to provide any necessary supplies, medication, or equipment that a student will need to use at school.
  • In the event that the student will require the use of durable medical equipment at school such as crutches, a wheelchair, or a walker (see Health Services TSC Health Services: Use of Crutches, Walkers, or Wheelchairs in School protocol for additional information)
    • The note should indicate that use of this equipment will be required at school, including the diagnosis or reason.
    • any restrictions that may be necessary due to that requirement for school including restrictions related to PE, recess, band/choir, and athletics.
    • the anticipated duration of the restrictions and need for durable medical equipment.
    • It is the responsibility of the parent/guardian to provide any necessary durable medical equipment that a student will need to use at school.

02/19/2026: Health Services Protocol:
Exclusion From School and/or Return to School is developed
following TSC policy 5330 - USE OF MEDICATION and with approval from the TSC Corporation
Physician-M. Criswell, MD/Dr. D. Allison/kzrn

Students will not be sent home for having nits in their hair, but will be sent home for live lice. Students sent home with live head lice must be checked by health office personnel before they return to class.

Head lice is very distressing to kids as well as parents, but they do not pose a health threat. Lice do not transmit diseases, and are spread most commonly by close person-to-person contact. Dogs, cats or other pets do not play a role in transmission. Lice move by crawling, and do not jump or fly.

Common places that lice are transmitted include school, daycare, home, sporting activities and slumber parties.Transmission may occur in the following ways:

• Wearing clothes, such as hats, scarves, coats or helmets of an infested person.
• Sharing combs, brushes, hair ties or towels with an infested person.
• Lying on a bed, pillow, couch, carper or stuffed animal of an infested person.

All reasonable measure will be taken to prevent the spread of lice at school. Students will be reminded not to share coats, hats and brushes/combs at school. We recommend that you routinely check your child for head lice at home. Below is a head-lice treatment checklist that should be followed in the event your child has lice.

• Head Lice Treatment Checklist
• Head Lice Treatment Checklist - Spanish

Información sobre exámenes de salud anuales

Vision screenings: Vision screenings are completed annually, per Indiana state law (IC 20-34-3-12), for all students enrolled in Kindergarten or 1st, 3rd, 5th, and 8th grades. Vision screenings may also be done for students who are referred due to possible vision concerns and for students who are new to the corporation. A Modified Clinical Technique (MCT) is a vision screening that is performed annually, per Indiana state law (IC 20-34-3-12), on Kindergarten or 1st grade students by an optometrist or ophthalmologist. 

If the screening indicates the need for follow-up or additional vision testing for a student, the school nurse will notify the parent/guardian by written referral. It is hoped that the parent/guardian will follow up with a provider for further evaluation and share the results with the school nurse for school medical records. 

If parents/guardians need assistance in finding a provider or resources for financial assistance, the school nurse may be contacted. 

Hearing screenings: Hearing screenings are completed annually, per Indiana state law (IC 20-34-3-14), for all students enrolled in 1st, 4th, 7th, and 10th grades, a student who has transferred into the school corporation, and a student who is suspected of having hearing problems. Hearing screenings will be conducted by GLASS speech clinicians.

Parents/guardians will be notified by a referral letter if a concern is identified during the screening process. Further evaluation may be recommended and it is hoped that the parent/guardian will follow up with a provider and share the results with the speech clinician for school medical records. 

Records of all vision and hearing screenings shall be made and maintained by the school corporation to provide information useful in protecting, promoting, and maintaining the health and educational success of students.

Any questions related to these screenings should be directed to the school nurse. Parents/guardians who do not wish to have this screening for their child should notify the school principal and school nurse, in writing, of their objection within the first 2 weeks of the school year on an annual basis.

The Tippecanoe County Health Department offers an Immunization Clinic every Wednesday by appointment only.

IN State Department of Health Required and Recommended School Immunizations

Current Year

• 2025-26 School Immunization Requirements
• Vacunas escolares obligatorias y recomendadas, Indiana 2025-26
• Vaksinasyon Obligatwa ak Rekòmande pou Lekòl, Indiana 2025-26

Information

• Grade 6 Immunization Recommendations
• Grade 6 Immunization Recommendations Spanish
• Hepatitis A Requirement Letter
• Meningococcal ACWY Information - CDC 2025
• Meningococcal B Information - CDC 2025

Medical and Religious Exemption Forms

• Immunization Religious Exemption Form
• Vaccine Medical Exemption
• FORMULARIO DE EXENCIÓN DE
• FÒM EGZANPSYON VAKSEN
• FORMULAIRE D'EXEMPTION DE VACCIN
• Parent Acknowledgment Form with Students with Vaccine Exemptions
• FORMULARIO DE RECONOCIMIENTO DE PADRES PARA ESTUDIANTES
  CON EXENCIONES DE VACUNAS

FAQ

• Immunization Frequently Asked Questions
• Preguntas frecuentes sobre inmunización
• Vaksinasyon moun poze souvan

All minimum intervals and ages for each vaccination as specified per CDC guidelines must be met for a dose to be valid.

According to Indiana Code 20-8.1-7-10.1 (c) (1): When a student enrolls for the first time in a school corporation, a statement of the student's immunizations will be supplied to the school by a parent or guardian. This record must show that the student has received at least the minimum number of immunizations at the required intervals for the student's age. Students may not attend school until required immunizations are up to date.

Please refer to the TSC policy 5320-Immunization for further information.