Student Handbook - Health Services
Wellness Policy
Preamble
It is the mission of the Worcester Public Schools (WPS) Wellness Policy to enable students to become independent and self-directed learners, responsible for meeting their own health and nutritional needs as developmentally appropriate. It is the goal of the Wellness Policy to promote all students’ physical, emotional and social well-being through the coordinated efforts of all departments and services offered in the Worcester Public Schools. This model calls for a collaborative, coordinated and comprehensive approach to learning and health, and serves as the model for the WPS Wellness Policy and nursing practice.
Overview of School Health/Nursing Services
A coordinated program of accessible health services will be provided to students through the leadership of the Nursing Department, in collaboration with the school Physician Consultant, various school departments, and community agencies, as applicable. The program includes communicable disease prevention and reporting, immunization compliance, health education and wellness promotion, health assessments and screenings, chronic conditions (including but not limited to asthma, diabetes, life-threatening allergies, seizures, ADHD) management, counseling, community health referrals, first aid and emergency care. The school nurses collaborate and coordinate with caregivers and other health care providers to create an Individual Health Care Plan.
School nurses provide mandated screenings for students at various grade levels in accordance with MA State laws and the Division of Public Health requirements. Screenings include vision and hearing (grades K-5, 8, 10), scoliosis (grades 5-9) height, weight and Body-mass Index (BMI) (grades 1, 4, 7, 10) and Screening Brief Intervention and Referral to Treatment [SBIRT] (grades 7 and 9). All students will receive a form from school for caregivers to choose to opt out of one or more of these preventive screenings. All school staff throughout the district are trained by school nurses yearly on life threatening allergy awareness education and Epi-Pen administration and basic first-aid. There are also many school staff members who are trained by the Nursing Department in Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) and Automated External Defibrillator (AED) use. Every school and outside athletic area has at minimum one AED available and at least one person trained to use it at all times.
The Nursing Administration coordinates and supports other health services available to students including oral health screenings and preventive care such as fluoride and sealant application with referral to a dentist as needed. All high schools, Burncoat, Worcester East, and Sullivan middle schools, and Elm Park Community, Goddard School of Science and Technology, and Woodland Academy elementary schools have School-Based Health Centers (SBHC) staffed with Nurse Practitioners who can provide more advanced health assessments, diagnoses, and treatment as indicated. Students can also receive physical examinations and immunizations if registered. The Edward Kennedy Health Center (EKHC) and the Family Health Center (FHC) of Worcester operate the SBHCs in the WPSs. Caregivers who are interested in this additional health service must register their child/children at the start of every school year, providing consent for treatment.
School Health Advisory Council
The School Committee recognizes the relationship between student wellness and student achievement. The purpose of the School Health Advisory Council is to recommend, review and help implement school district policies addressing school nutrition, nutrition education, physical activity and related issues that affect student health (105 CMR 215.000). The council is composed of the Coordinator of Nursing and a variety of community agencies who work together to advocate, develop, implement, monitor, review and revise school health policy as needed/mandated.
Visit the WPS Nursing webpage for the complete Wellness Policy and other health-related policies and forms or call your school nurse with any questions.
School Nutrition Program Charge Policy
Worcester Public Schools makes available at no cost to each student a Breakfast and Lunch meal daily during the school year. If the Worcester Public Schools begins to charge for meals, the following policy will be adhered to.
The School Committee is committed to providing students with healthy, nutritious meals each day so they can focus on schoolwork, while also maintaining the financial integrity of meal programs and minimizing any impact on students with meal charges. However, unpaid meal charges place a large financial burden on the school district, as food services is a self-supporting entity within the district.
The purpose of this policy is to ensure compliance with federal reporting requirements of the USDA Child Nutrition Program, as well as to provide oversight and accountability for the collection of outstanding student meal balances.
Charges and Balances
In the event a student takes an additional meal after receiving the first at no cost, or other food items from the cafeteria, they will be subject to provide payment for those items at the Point of Sale in the cafeteria. A proposed price list will be provided to the Worcester Public Schools, School Committee for review. There will be a No-Charge policy for meals and items provided by the Nutrition Services Department.
Payments
If the USDA makes changes to the meal programs, caregivers are responsible for all meal payments to the food service programs. Notices of low or deficit balances will be sent directly to caregivers via email or regular postal mail at regular intervals during the school year. At no time shall any staff member give payment notices to students unless that student is known to be an emancipated minor who is fully responsible for themselves or over the age of 18. If caregivers have concerns with student purchases, they should contact food services for assistance.
The school will ensure that students with unpaid meal charges are not stigmatized or discriminated against in any way. Food service personnel will not announce or discuss the unpaid charges in front of other students, and students will not be treated differently or denied any services because of unpaid charges.
The School District will work with caregivers to establish a payment plan for unpaid charges. This may include payment over time, payment through available financial assistance programs, or other arrangements that are reasonable and fair. The school will also work with families to apply for these programs and will not discriminate against any student who is eligible for these programs.
All school cafeterias that possess computerized point of sale/cash register systems will maintain records of all monies deposited and spent for each student and those records are available to caregivers by setting up an online account or by speaking with the school's food service Manager or Director. The point-of-sale system is designed to prevent direct identification of a student's meal status. Caregivers will receive notifications when the student balance is negative by emails or mailed notices weekly, if applicable. If notices do not result in payment, caregivers will receive a phone call from Worcester Public Schools Nutrition Department. If the phone call does not result in payment the food service manager shall turn the account over to the business office.
Refunds
Refunds for withdrawn and/or graduating students require a written request (email, postal, or in person) for a refund of any money remaining in their account to be submitted. Graduating students also have the option to transfer funds to the Nutrition Department fund balance to be used for program improvements with a written request.
Delinquent Accounts/Collections
Failure of a caregiver to maintain reasonably current accounts may result in a referral to the Superintendent for their review. The Superintendent shall ensure that there are appropriate and effective collection procedures and internal controls within the school district's business office that meet the requirements of law.
If a student is without meal money consistently, the administration may investigate the situation more closely and take further action as needed. Each school handbook shall contain detailed instructions for family assistance.
Policy Communications
This policy shall be communicated to all staff and families at the beginning of each school year and to families transferring to the district during the year.
LEGAL REFS: MGL 71:72; USDA School Meal Program Guidelines May 2017, Chapter 28 of the Acts of 2023 CROSS REFS: JQ, Student Fees, Fines & Charges
EFE, Civil Rights Complaint Policy for Child Nutrition Programs
Access for Pregnant Students
In accordance with Federal Law and Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education regulations and guidance, a student who is pregnant is permitted to remain in regular classes and participate in extracurricular activities with non-pregnant students throughout her pregnancy. After giving birth, a student is permitted to return to the academic program in which they were enrolled and is permitted to participate in extracurricular programs.