To attend Framingham Public Schools, all students in grades Pre-K-12 must be fully immunized. Official documentation of required immunizations must be provided to your school nurse before your child can begin school at any age. Your school nurse can provide you with a list of required immunizations or you can access it from the link below. Only medical and religious exemptions from immunization requirements are acceptable. If there are medical reasons why your child has not been immunized, a statement from your healthcare provider must be provided to your school nurse. Please state a religious exemption in writing to your school nurse. 

MA Immunization Requirements

All students new to Framingham Public Schools must provide a signed physical examination performed by a health care provider, conducted within 12 months of entry into the school. Massachusetts law also requires that schools receive reports of physical examinations in Kindergarten, Grades 1, 4, 7, and 10. Your healthcare provider’s physical examination form is acceptable.

If your child needs special transportation or tutoring services because of an injury or illness, please contact The Department of Health & Wellness at 508-626-9197 for assistance.

If your child becomes ill at school, you will be contacted and expected to come for the student as soon as possible. Each parent/guardian is asked to provide the nurse/school with emergency contact information including the name of an alternate person to be notified in the event you cannot be reached. Please notify the school immediately when your emergency contact information changes.

Often the way a child looks and acts can make the decision to keep your child home an obvious one. The following guidelines should be considered when making the decision.

If your child has:

Fever  - The child should remain at home with a fever greater than 100.  The child can return to school after he/she has been fever free for 24 hours (without fever-reducing medicine such as Tylenol or Motrin).

Diarrhea/Vomiting - A child with diarrhea and/or vomiting should stay at home and return to school only after being symptom free for 24 hours.

Conjunctivitis - Following g a diagnosis of conjunctivitis, the child may return to school 24 hours after the first dose of prescribed medication.

Rashes - Common infectious diseases with rashes are most contagious in the early stages.  A child with a suspicious rash should return to school only after a health care provider has made a diagnosis and authorized the child's return to school.

Colds - Consider keeping your child at home if he/she is experiencing significant discomfort from cold symptoms, such as nasal congestion and cough.  A continuous green discharge from the nose may be a sign of infection.  Consider having the child seen by your health care provider.

A sick child cannot learn effectively and is unable to participate in classes in a meaningful way.  In addition, keeping a sick child home prevents the spread of illness in the school community and allows the child opportunity to rest and recover. Remember the essentials of good health are good nutrition, plentiful fluids, regular exercise and plenty of rest.  If your son/daughter develops a communicable disease or condition, (e.g. chicken pox, strep-throat, scarlet fever, fifth's disease, or head lice) please notify your school nurse. This will enable us to monitor your child's progress and other student/staff exposure.

Postural Screening 

Postural screening to assess for  scoliosis is conducted for all students in grades 5-9.  The purpose of this state mandated screening is to detect early signs of spinal problems that may require further evaluation.  You will be notified of any abnormal findings and referred to your healthcare provider for follow up. Families can request a religious exemption from postural screenings by submitting a letter to the school nurse. If a parent/guardian requests an exemption on other grounds, written documentation from the student's primary care provider must be provided including the date of postural screening and results.

Body Mass Index

Massachusetts regulations require screening for Body Mass Index (BMI). Your child's height and weight will be measured using guidelines provided by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health and his/her BMI calculated. If you choose not to have your child screened for BMI, you may do so by stating your preference in writing to your school nurse. 

SBIRT

Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment (SBIRT) focuses on prevention, early detection, risk assessment, brief counseling and referral for assessment that can be utilized in the school setting. Use of a validated screening tool enables school health teams to detect risk for substance use related problems and brief intervention strategies will help to address these concerns at an early stage in adolescents. Students are screened annually in 7th and 9th grades. More information.

Students' vision and hearing are screened annually as required by Massachusetts law. Families can request a religious exemption to the screenings by submitting a letter to the school nurse.

Prescription medication may be given in school only after the school nurse receives written orders from the student's healthcare provider/dentist and signed consent from the parent/guardian. New medication orders are required at the start of the school year and expire at the end of each school year. Only medications in original prescription containers, currently prescribed by a physician and brought to the nurse’s office by a parent or other adult, will be given at school. All medications taken during the school day must be stored in the nurse’s office and be picked up by a parent/guardian before the close of the school year. Any medications that are not picked up by the last day of school will be destroyed. Under certain circumstances, in consultation with the school nurse, a student may self-administer asthma inhalers, insulin, or Epi-pens® during the school day.  Contact your school nurse for more information.  The Medication Administration Policy can be found on the Policies & Forms section of this website.

Over the counter (OTC) medications including Advil, Tylenol, etc. can be given during the school day after the parent/guardian completes an OTC medication permission form. The form must be completed each school year. Your school nurse can provide you with a copy of the OTC Medication Form or you can access it on the Policies and Forms section of this website. 

Families are strongly encouraged to communicate any student health concerns to the school nurse. If your child has asthma, allergies, diabetes, seizures, attention deficit disorder, or any other medical or mental health issue requiring special health services during school hours and/or is assisted by medical technology, please meet with your school nurse prior to school entry.