Subject: Immunizations and Immediate Enrollment Post Katrina
Submitted By: Barbara Duffield
Date Submitted: 9/09/05
Message: In the wake of the hurricane, we are receiving numerous inquiries about immunizations and school enrollment. The Center for Disease Control has issued a bulletin on interim immunizations for people displaced by Hurricane Katrina. The bulletin is available at:
http://www.bt.cdc.gov/disasters/hurricanes/katrina/vaccrecdisplaced.asp
According to the section called "School Requirements:
"States affected by Hurricane Katrina had immunization requirements for school and daycare and it is likely that children enrolled prior to the disaster would be vaccinated appropriately. There is no recommendation to begin repeating vaccinations for children displaced by the disaster."As a reminder, the McKinney-Vento Act requires that students be immediately enrolled in school, even if they lack records normally required for enrollment, such birth certificates, school records, medical records, proof of guardianship, or proof of residency. If students lack immunization records, the Act requires that liaisons assist students in obtaining them.
In light of the hurricane's devastation to buildings and communications, it could be weeks and perhaps months before governmental agencies possessing records are fully functioning and able to respond to request for documents. Further, when they do resume business, they will be overwhelmed with requests and possibly distracted by the need to rebuild their internal infrastructures. Therefore, school districts and states should be vigilant in ensuring that their state-established records timelines, including timelines for immunizations, do not lead to barriers to enrollment and attendance that are prohibited under the McKinney-Vento Act.
Subject: News from Hurricane Impacted Districts
Submitted By: Diana Bowman
Date Submitted: 9/07/05
Message: I wanted to let everyone know about the efforts of some of the most impacted school districts to enroll children in families displaced by the hurricane. Patsy Williams, Lafayette (LA), reports that the district enrolled almost 800 children in one day and are expecting 400-500 more children each day. The district established and central enrollment place where families come to enroll the children. Volunteers, health workers, counselors, and Head Start staff are on site to facilitate this process. Children are placed in neighborhood schools close to where they are staying. Portable buildings are being set up quickly to ease the initial over crowding.
Pitre Walker, Shreveport (LA), reports that her district has registered over 1,000 students. Staff went to shelters to enroll the students and serve medical and special needs. Transportation has been arranged for the children to attend local schools. Children are enrolled each day and begin attending the following day. Her staff is meeting with the superintendent every day to keep up with the influx of students.
Tim Stahlke reports that Texas school districts—Houston, Austin, Dallas, and San Antonio—are enrolling thousands of children. Texas is also using a central area for enrollment, and the districts are placing the children in local schools.
Patsy, Pitre, and Tim each reflect the commitment of school districts in these heavily impacted areas of upholding the McKinney-Vento law ensuring that these children are enrolled immediately and placed in local schools. We can’t emphasize enough the need for the children in families displaced by the hurricane to be integrated into school systems so that they can experience some sense of normalcy in at least this part of their lives. The law prohibits setting up classrooms in shelters, and to serve the best interests of the children, it’s more imperative than ever to uphold the law and to hold the line on the discussion of separate facilities.
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