Health Services

Guidelines: Am I Well Enough to go to School?  

Sartell-St. Stephen ISD 748 adheres to recommendations made by the Minnesota Department of Health regarding excluding children from school for contagious/communicable illnesses. We ask for your cooperation in this so that we may promote a healthy, safe environment for all students.

Pre-K Immunization Form   K-12 Immunization Form

It is Minnesota Law that all students enrolled in school be up-to-date with his/her immunizations or parent(s)/guardian(s) file a notarized legal exemption with the school.  Please check with your child's primary health care provider to see if he/she has received all the immunizations.  The health office must be provided updated immunization records.  If there is a medical or religious exemption to any vaccine, parent(s)/guardian(s) are required to provide the health office with notarized documentation.

Please be advised that according to Minnesota Statutes 121A.15, all students must receive the necessary immunizations and provide documentation to the school by mid-August (see district calendar for specific date) or they will be excluded from school until this requirement is met.

Hennepin County Infectious Diseases in Childcare Settings and Schools manual

Sartell-St. Stephen Public Schools follows the infectious disease guidelines as outlined in the Hennepin County Infectious Diseases in Childcare Settings and Schools Manual.

Fact sheets provide prevention and control information on common infectious diseases seen in a school or childcare setting such as chickenpox, COVID-19, impetigo, pink eye, and head lice and strep throat. All standards follow recommendations by the American Public Health Association and the American Academy of Pediatrics.

Medication procedure (printer-friendly)

• Only medications with authorization from a healthcare provider will be administered in school and only if there is no viable alternative. This includes both prescription and over-the-counter medications, as well as dietary supplements and essential oils.
• Medications may include, but are not limited to: cough syrup, Advil, Pamprin, Tylenol, antacids, etc. ***
• Students requiring medication at school shall be identified by parents/guardians and physicians.  Students observed self-administering unauthorized medications will be reported to their parents/guardians and possibly face disciplinary action.
• Parents/guardians shall complete and return to the health office the "AUTHORIZATION FOR ADMINISTRATION OF MEDICATION" form prior to medication administration.  Note: the prescribing physician's signature is required on this form.
• Over-the-counter medications require an authorization form (medication order) from a physician. The medication needs to be provided to the school in an unopened bottle with a legible manufacturer's label and the student's name written on the bottle.
• It is the parent/guardian's responsibility to see that the medication to be administered at school is in a pharmacy-labeled container which identifies the student (patient), medication, dosage, prescribing physician, current date, time to be administered, accurate directions for administration, and telephone number of the pharmacy.
• A parent/guardian must deliver the medication and any refills to the health office. Controlled medications must be dropped off and picked up at the health office by the parent/guardian. Students may not transfer controlled substances to/from school.
• Parents/guardians will be contacted if the permission form or labeling is not adequate, and therefore the medication will not be administered until all is compliant with the policy.
• Medications ordered three times a day should be given at home unless medically indicated by the physician and must be given during school hours.
• All medication must be picked up on the last day of school.  Parents/guardians will have to make arrangements to pick up the medication(s).  Any medications or individual medical supplies will be destroyed if not picked up on the last day of school.
• Medication administration is often delegated to health assistants and occasionally to trained administrative assistants from the main office; however, teachers and/or other trained staff may administer medications while on field trips.
• Any exceptions to this policy shall be reviewed and subsequently approved or denied by the District Licensed School Nurse.
• ***NON-PRESCRIPTION MEDICATION POLICY (HIGH SCHOOL ONLY) - A student may possess and use non-prescription/over-the-counter pain (i.e. Tylenol, Advil, Midol, etc.), cold, and allergy relief medications are consistent with the labeling.  The parent/guardian must sign the "NON-PRESCRIPTION MEDICATION AUTHORIZATION" form (a new form is required each school year) for the student to self-administer the identified medication(s).  The medication(s) must be in the original container and the container may be kept in the student's locker and/or the high school health office. No cold or allergy medication containing ephedrine or pseudo-ephedrine will be allowed. Students may NOT share their medication(s) with other students.  The school district may revoke the student's privilege to possess and use the medication if the district determines that the student is abusing the privilege.
• ***Cough drops will be allowed at the elementary schools without a doctor’s note, if parents/guardians provide the cough drops, they are housed in the health office and there is signed permission on the “COUGH DROP AUTHORIZATION FORM” (a new form must be signed each year).

Sartell-St. Stephen Schools procedure for medication administration on 2 hour late start days:

When there is a two hour late start to the school day, the nursing staff will not administer medication ordered before that days start time (see below). Parents/guardians must administer morning medication at home on two hour late start days.

• ORELC medications ordered before 10:00 must be given at home.
• PMPS medications ordered before 9:50 must be given at home.
• RIS medications ordered before 10:00 must be given at home.
• SMS medications ordered before 10:40 must be given at home.
• SHS medications ordered before 10:40 must be given at home.

If there are extenuating circumstances where the medication is unable to be given at home on a two hour late start day, it is the parent/guardian’s responsibility to communicate to the nurse (via phone call, email or note sent with the student) that the medication was not given at home and should be given at school.

Medication Administration Authorization