- No student may attend school in the district unless the student has presented to the school an up-to-date certificate of immunization or a completed exemption form.
- A student shall be exempted from required immunizations only upon submission of:
- certification from a licensed physician 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 statement signed by the parent/guardian or the emancipated student that the student adheres to a religious belief whose teachings are opposed to immunizations.
- a statement signed by the parent/guardian or the emancipated student that the student holds a personal belief that is opposed to immunizations.
In the event of an outbreak of disease against which immunization is required, no exemption or exception from immunization shall be recognized and exempted persons may be subject to exclusion from school and quarantine.
- Parents/guardians or emancipated students who assert an exemption from immunizations based on a religious or personal belief (“non-medical exemption”) shall submit a standard exemption form or a signed statement to the school on an annual basis. Such submission shall occur at the beginning of each school year that the non-medical exemption is asserted.
- Parents/guardians or emancipated students who assert an exemption from immunizations based on a medical reason shall submit the required medical exemption form to the school one time. The medical exemption form shall be maintained on file at each new school the student attends.
- The district will provide upon request an immunization reporting form. The school nurse or school secretary 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 school nurse or school secretary will personally notify the parent/guardian or emancipated student. Such notification will be accomplished either by telephone or in person. If this is not possible, contact will be by 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:
- that up-to-date immunizations are required under Colorado law.
- that within 14 days of notification, the parent/guardian must submit either an authorization for administration of the immunization by health officials or a valid exemption or documentation to the school showing that the next required immunization has been given and a written plan for completion of all required immunizations.
- that if the required documentation is not submitted within 14 days of notification or if the student begins but does not continue or complete the written plan, the student may be suspended or expelled.
- A student who fails to comply may 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 may 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 shall apply 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 shall enroll the student regardless of whether the district or school has received the student’s immunization records. Upon enrolling the student, the school shall notify the student’s legal guardian that unless the school receives the student’s certificate of immunization or a written authorization for administration of immunizations within 14 days after the student enrolls, the school may 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
Lake County School District R-1, Leadville, Colorado