District Medication and First Aid Policy

The Swedesboro-Woolwich Board of Education shall not be responsible for the diagnosis and treatment of student illness. The administration of medication to a student during school hours will be permitted only when failure to take such medicine would jeopardize the health of the student, or the student would not be able to attend school if the medicine were not made available to him/her during school hours. 

Simple first aid can be given by the nurse or a teacher for injuries received by a student at school. If a child exhibits symptoms of an illness at home, he/she should not be sent to school, and he/she should see the family physician. School policy states that any conditions arising at home, no matter how small, are not treated at school.

In accordance with the district Board Policy #5330, no medication shall be taken at school except under the following conditions:

1. No medication will be administered to students in school except by the school nurse, another registered nurse serving as substitute to the school nurse, the fully certified school health aide, as per established protocol, or the student’s parent.

2. Medication must be delivered to the school nurse in its original labeled container by the student’s parent/guardian and must be accompanied by the parent/guardian’s written request for its administration and by the physician’s written and signed statement of the medication’s name, the purpose of its administration to the specific student for whom it is intended, its proper timing and dosage, it’s possible side effects, and the time when its use will be discontinued.

3. Medication no longer required must be promptly removed by the parent/guardian.

4. An exception is made for students with asthma or another potentially life threatening illness, who shall be allowed to self-administer medication when a nurse is not physically present at the scene provided permissions for such administration are on file in the office of the school nurse. The school nurse can provide the necessary forms. THIS IS AN EXTREMELY IMPORTANT MATTER.