The Board of Education seeks to provide a safe educational environment for both students and staff. This can best be accomplished by assuring that all persons with the school community understand the method of transmission and prevention of diseases that are not contracted through air-borne pathogens, but rather through direct contact with body fluids or excretions. It is the Board's intent to ensure that any student or member of the staff who contracts or is diagnosed with a communicable disease that is spread through noncasual direct contact with blood, other body fluids or excretions will have his/her status in the District examined by an appropriate panel of resource people and that the rights of both the affected individual and those of other staff members and students will be acknowledged and respected.

For purposes of this policy, communicable diseases that can be spread by direct contact with blood or body fluids and excretions shall include the most common diseases:

The Board recognizes the fact that individuals who have contracted these diseases may not exhibit symptoms for many years after exposure and may, in fact, not be aware that they have contracted the disease. They are, however, able to transmit the disease to other individuals.

With this in mind, the Board directs the Superintendent to develop programs for students and staff for the purpose of understanding the manner in which these diseases may be prevented and how they are transmitted. These programs should specify, the risk factors involved, how to deal with those risks, and emphasize the fact that these diseases are preventable if basic precautions are taken.

The Board further directs the Superintendent to assure that students or staff who reveal the fact they have contracted one of these diseases will have their status safeguarded in accordance with Federal and State statutes dealing with confidentiality and that their civil rights will be respected. Staff members will have access to District leave policies in accordance with Board policy and negotiated agreement and opportunities for reasonable accommodation as described by the Americans with Disabilities Act. Should a student be unable to attend school as a result of illness, an alternative education program shall be provided in accordance with the Board’s policy and administrative guidelines dealing with Homebound Instruction.

Revised 10/11/05