Policy:

The Governing Board desires to protect students from risks posed by exposure to infectious diseases while providing a high-quality education for all students. The Executive Director or designee shall collaborate with local and state health officials to develop and regularly update a comprehensive plan for disease prevention that promotes preventative measures, mitigation, education, communication, and training of students and staff. All measures to limit the spread of infectious diseases shall be nondiscriminatory and ensure that equity is promoted.

The Executive Director or designee shall regularly review resources available from health experts to ensure that school programs are based on the most up-to-date information about healthful practices.

T​​he network of charter schools’ comprehensive health education programs shall provide age-appropriate information about the nature and symptoms of communicable diseases, their transmission, and how to help prevent the spread of contagious diseases.

If the local health officer notifies the charter school of an outbreak of a communicable disease, or the imminent and proximate threat of a communicable disease outbreak or epidemic that threatens the public's health, the charter school shall take any action that the health officer deems necessary to control the spread of the disease. The charter school shall comply with all applicable state and federal privacy laws in regard to any such information received from the local health officer. (Health and Safety Code 120175.5)To protect students from contact with potentially infectious blood or other body fluids and prevent the spread of infectious disease, universal precautions shall be observed throughout the school environment.

The Executive Director or designee shall inform students of the precautions to be used in cases of exposure to blood or other body fluids through injury, accident, or classroom instruction.

Students with Infectious Disease

The Executive Director or designee shall exclude students from on-campus instruction only in accordance with law, Board policy, and administrative regulation. Because bloodborne pathogens such as hepatitis B virus, hepatitis C virus, and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) are not casually transmitted, the presence of infectious conditions of this type is not, by itself, sufficient reason to exclude students from attending school.

Parents/guardians are encouraged to inform the Executive Director or designee if their child has an infectious disease so that school staff may work cooperatively with the student's parents/guardians to minimize exposure to other diseases in the school setting. If necessary, the Executive Director or designee shall inform the local health official of any potential outbreak. The Executive Director or designee shall ensure that student confidentiality and privacy rights are strictly observed in accordance with law.

Original Policy: 06/07/2019

Revised Policy 03/10/2023

Link to 5002.2 Infectious Disease Administrative Regulations