The Florida Department of Education and the Florida Department of Health work in cooperation to coordinate the School Health Services Program as mandated in Florida Statute sections 381.0056, 381.0057, and 402.3026. The School Health Services Program is designed to appraise, protect and promote the health of our students as well as provide preventative and emergency school-based health services in accordance with our local School Health Services Plan.
Marion County Public Schools and the Marion County Health Department coordinate locally to provide health services to all students enrolled in Marion County Public Schools. These services include:
- Providing basic first aid and emergency care
- Grade specific state mandated health screenings (hearing, vision, height/weight, BMI and scoliosis)
- Nursing assessments
- Health Counseling
- Referrals and follow-up for confirmed health problems
- Communicable disease prevention and intervention
The following health services may also be provided with signed parental consent:
- Medication administration
- Health care procedures
- Free flu vaccination clinics
- Free Tdap clinics for 6th grade students
To Opt your child out of any health service provided, please complete the School Health Services Opt-Out Form and return it to your child’s school within 10 days from the first day of school or date of enrollment. Forms are available from your child’s school or by clicking the link below.
School Health Services Program Opt-Out Form
Our Marion County School Health Program is managed by Registered School Nurses and addresses day-to-day student health needs, emergency health needs and in-school management of chronic and acute health conditions like diabetes, asthma, allergies and epilepsy. In-school care management helps to ensure that student health conditions do not prevent students from attending school. School clinics are staffed with trained unlicensed assistive personnel and supervised by Registered School Nurses.
For additional information about the Florida School Health Program visit:
http://www.floridahealth.gov/programs-and-services/childrens-health/school-health/school-health-program.html
If your student requires health services regularly at school, please see the documents as outlined below.
- The Important Medication Information document outlines the requirements for prescribed medications to be accepted and administered in the school clinic. It is very important that the specific prescription label requirements be met.
Important Medication Information
- The Authorization for Prescribed Medication form is required if your student requires medication administration at school. The form must be signed by a parent. Physician signature is only required if a student will self-carry an inhaler, Epinephrine Auto-Injector, or pancreatic enzymes.
Authorization for Prescribed Medication
- The Authorization for Prescribed Treatment is required if your student requires a treatment, such as a nebulizer treatment or a Gastrostomy Tube feeding.
Authorization for Administration of Prescribed Treatment
- If your child has any special dietary needs, such as substitutions or modifications due to allergy, please see the Food & Nutrition Services page for a “Special Diet Prescription Form” which must be completed and signed by a licensed physician.
Additional forms:
You may contact the Health Services Coordinator for Marion County Public Schools by calling 352-671-6860 with any questions you may have.
If your child requires significant health services, such as diabetic care, you may wish to contact the Health Services Coordinator and/or Supervisor of School Health as soon as possible.
Contact Information - Health Services
Andrea Simmons, RN, BSN, CPN
Health Services Coordinator
(352) 671-6860
Internal ext. 57822
Jessica Gloger, RN
Health Services Program Specialist
(352) 671-6860
Internal ext. 57847