Board of education hears new policies

Published 12:00 am Wednesday, November 21, 2007

DEMOPOLIS &8212; Two policies will soon be changing in Demopolis City Schools, pending a second reading and an approval vote at the board of education&8217;s next meeting.

Geraldine Walker, Demopolis Middle School nurse, was on hand to explain the changes in the medications policy and the system&8217;s no-nit policy for students who are infected with head lice.

According to Walker, the policy was revised by the state and the Alabama Association of School Nurses. The new policy will allow students to attend school as long as there are no live bugs found in their hair.

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Superintendent Wayne Vickers said the policy is geared at getting children in school as much as possible, and the previous policy required some students to miss as many as five days in a row because of the condition.

The second policy being revised involves medications at school. Currently, all medications &8212; with the exception of inhalers for asthma and EpiPens for students who get serious allergic reactions &8212; kept at the nurse&8217;s office. The new policy allows for students to carry medications with them for chronic conditions.

One stipulation of the policy is that a doctor must write a letter of consent for the student to carry the medication that is kept on file in the nurse&8217;s office.

The board will vote on the new policies after a second hearing at their meeting on Dec. 17.

The board also heard bid results for new equipment for the child nutrition program, which included a new double convection oven and a new walk-in freezer at Westside Elementary School.

In other business the board:

Approved Dr. Neil Hyce as PEPE data collector.

Approved Demopolis Middle School field trip to Robertson Bank on Dec. 12

Approved U.S. Jones fifth grade to attend &8220;Beauty and the Beast&8221; on Dec. 4.

Approved U.S. Jones third grade classes to attend &8220;Beauty and the Beast&8221; on Dec. 6