Here in St. Johns County, a few nattering nabobs of negativism spoke out against the School District's consent forms, as if "medical treatment" would include vaccines. Jesus wept. Look at the results of this demagogy -- schools afraid to give a child a bandaid or an ice pack.
Yes.
In Palm Beach County, school children won't get Band-aids or ice packs because of a parental rights law. Schools are to call 911 if there's not a signed authorization.
More waste fraud and abuse from our Dull Republican legislators and Governor.
This is nuts.
Dull Republican legislators ad Governor RONALD DION DeSANTIS search for wedge issues is demagogy in search of "the nut vote," which the late Georgia U.S. Senator Herman Talmadge said was essential to getting elected.
From Palm Beach Post:
Citing parental rights law, schools say some kids can't be treated with Band-Aids, ice packs
Katherine KokalStudents whose families do not "opt in" to medical services with their school districts will not be given Band-Aids, ice packs or other minor medical care, according to announcements and statements from Volusia and Palm Beach County School District officials, among others.
Palm Beach County school officials say that's because the Florida Parental Rights in Education Law, which went into effect July 1, requires schools to notify parents of health-care services and give them the opportunity to consent to or decline them.
In response, some counties added an "opt-in" question to its annual student registration form, which asks parents to consent to services in the school nurse's office.
As of Aug. 25, more than 3,300 Palm Beach County parents had opted out of medical care. But more concerning to district officials is that they still need about 57,000 forms. About 167,000 students attend district-operated schools.
If a child doesn't have a registration form on file, they cannot receive medical care and the nurse must call their parents to the school to pick them up. Parents cannot give consent to medical services over the phone.
That's creating headaches for parents who have not filled out the form and a flurry of uncertainty for school officials trying to keep children safe within what the law allows.
Volusia County schools in August sent a note home to parents explaining that they would have to opt in to medical services for minor care by school nurses.
The district went on to say staff will call 911 if a child is having a medical emergency. Palm Beach County has the same policy.
Palm Beach and Volusia Counties aren't alone in the opt-in policy.
Broward, Duval, Orange and Pinellas County School Districts all asked parents to opt-in to medical services this year, according to forms listed on their respective websites.
Flagler County, just north of Daytona Beach, will also require parental consent for medical treatment. The district will offer an opt-out form instead of an opt-in form, where consent for medical services is implied unless parents submit a form declining medical services, according to the form posted Wednes district's website.
More on school health:Palm Beach County schools won't report positive COVID cases in classroom to parents
More on back to school:COVID policies to LGBTQ law: 8 things to know as Palm Beach County goes back to school
More on the school board:Palm Beach County School Board lambasted after designating day off for Muslim holiday
Problems with medical opt-in form
Keith Oswald, Palm Beach County schools chief of equity and wellness, said Thursday at a district committee meeting that school nurses are limited in their ability to treat headaches, minor scrapes and bruises if a child doesn't have a consent form on file.
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