No student may attend school in the District unless the student has presented to the school: (1) an up-to-date certificate of immunization, (2) a valid certificate of medical exemption, or (3) a completed certificate of nonmedical exemption.
A student will be exempted from required immunizations only upon submission of:
Medical Exemptions. A completed certificate of medical exemption signed by a licensed physician, qualified physician assistant, or advanced practice nurse that the student’s physical condition is such that immunization would endanger the student’s life or health or is otherwise medically contraindicated due to other medical conditions. A medical exemption can be for:
1. Permanent Conditions, which requires the form to be submitted only once to the school; or
2. Temporary Conditions, which only last for the duration of the condition and will expire after the “temporary until” date, which is determined by the authorized immunizing provider who signed the form.
NOTE: The expiration date must be monitored by each school in the District to determine when the student is eligible to receive the required immunization. Additionally, all Medical Exemption Forms (temporary or permanent) must be maintained in the student’s file at each new school the student attends.
Nonmedical Exemptions. A completed certificate of nonmedical exemption signed by one parent/guardian or an emancipated student. The certificate of nonmedical exemption must also include either:
1. The signature from a licensed physician, qualified physician assistant, advanced practice nurse, or pharmacist; or
2. Confirmation of completion of the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment’s Online Immunization Education Module.
a. Certificates of Nonmedical Exemption must be submitted once per school year. In the event of an outbreak of any communicable disease for which immunization is required, no exemption will be recognized, and those students will be excluded from school.
DUTIES RELATED TO IMMUNIZATIONS
Each school in the District annually provides the school’s specific immunization and exemption rates for the measles, mumps, and rubella vaccine for the school’s enrolled student population for the previous school year compared to the vaccinated children standard.
The District will provide upon request an immunization reporting form. The District Nurse is responsible for seeing that required information is included on the form and transferred to an official certificate of immunization as required.
If there is a failure to comply with the immunization requirements, the District Nurse will personally notify the parent/guardian or emancipated student. Such notification will be accomplished by telephone, e-mail, or in person. If this is not possible, contact will be by physical mail. Emancipated students must be contacted directly rather than through their parents/guardians.
The parent/guardian or emancipated student will be notified of the following:
1. That up-to-date immunizations are required under Colorado law.
2. That within 30 days of notification, the parent/guardian must submit one of the following: (1) a completed certificate of medical exemption (either temporary or permanent), (2) a completed certificate of nonmedical exemption or, (3) documentation to the school showing that the next required immunization has been given and a written plan for completion of all required immunizations.
3. That if the required documentation is not submitted within 30 days of notification, or if the student begins, but does not continue or complete, the written plan, the student will be suspended or expelled.
A student who fails to comply will be suspended by the principal for up to five days and notice of the suspension sent to the Health Department, in accordance with applicable law. If no certificate of immunization is received during the period of suspension, the Superintendent will institute proceedings for expulsion. Any suspension or expulsion under this policy will terminate automatically upon compliance. Record of any such suspension or expulsion will be contained in the student’s health file, with an appropriate explanation, not in the student’s disciplinary file.
Any student expelled for failure to comply with the immunization requirements will not be included in calculating the dropout rate, but will be included in the annual report to the State Board of Education.
STUDENTS IN OUT-OF-HOME PLACEMENTS
The following procedure applies to students in out-of-home placements, as that term is defined by C.R.S. 22-32-138 (1)(h).
Unless the District or school is otherwise authorized to deny enrollment to a student in out-of-home placement, the District or school must enroll the student regardless of whether the District or school has received the student’s immunization records. Upon enrolling the student, the school must notify the student’s legal guardian that unless the school receives the student’s certificate of immunization within 14 days after the student enrolls, the school will suspend the student until such time as the school receives the certificate of immunization or authorization.
Approved: Prior to June 2018
Revised: June 2018
Revised: September 2020
Revised: October: 2021
Revised: August 2026
Lake County School District R-1, Leadville, Colorado