Dist. 203 keeps policy on student medication

Nearly a month after softening the district's discipline policy for students caught with nonprescription medicine at school, board members agreed Monday to keep nurses in charge of administering single doses of over-the -counter medicines, but only with parental consent and a doctor's orders.

The policy was one of several updated Monday night in what outgoing Superintendent Alan Leis called a "housecleaning move" to prevent incoming Superintendent Mark Mitrovich from being swamped with outdated policies.

The only significant change to the policy allows students to self-medicate in what Leis previously called "life-threating situations." The updated policy will allow students to have an EpiPen or asthma inhaler.

Earlier this month, board members contemplated allowing nurses at the high schools to administer one dose of over-the-counter medication to students with permission from their parents, or to permit students to "self-medicate," but carry no more than one dose per day of nonprescription drugs.

"(District nurses) really felt that there was certainly a possibility that our students could abuse nonprescription drugs, and they really felt that the controls we've had in place - them going to the nurse and whatever - were in the students' best interests," Leis said during the June 1 discussion. "Some students would certainly be responsible about (medicating themselves), but they just felt that, overall, that it was better to maintain the policy."

Among the other policies approved Monday were the district applying for a waiver from the state to charge as much as $350 for drivers education classes. The rate is set for $250 next year, but Leis said the state encourages the district to apply for the maximum waiver.