School Health Services

"You cannot educate an unhealthy child, and you cannot keep an uneducated child healthy." Dr. Jocelyn Elder

Because we recognize the role that children's health plays in their ability to learn, each of our schools provides a health office.

The health office is staffed by a full-time health assistant, trained in CPR, first aid, and office management, and a school nurse, who may be responsible for more than one school.

If your child has specific health concerns, you are welcome to make an appointment to discuss them with the school nurse. The school health office will work closely with your child's doctor in providing best practice management of diabetes, asthma, and life-threatening allergies.

The health office provides many services to students, including first aid, administering prescribed medications, and health screenings. Some of the annual health screenings we offer include dental health, and hearing and vision assessments. We conduct these annual assessments with one goal in mind: to remove possible barriers to your child's learning.

At Tucson Unified, promoting children's health goes hand-in-hand with providing quality education.

Dental Health Services

• Referral for FREE dental care to treat acute dental pain to eligible students to local dentists.
• Sealant Program funded by the Arizona Department of Health Services (ADHS) for 2nd and 6th grade students.
• Mobile dental care by local dentists offered at TUSD school locations.

The health of a child's mouth affects their overall health and ability to attend school. If your child is in need of dental care and you do not have insurance, or have insurance and need help finding a dentist, let us know.

Hearing Screening

• State mandated
• Yearly per state requirements

Vision Screening

• TUSD Health Services mandated
• Yearly per state recommendations

School nurses are guided by the rules and guidelines of various agencies, including:

• Arizona Nurse Practice Act
• National Association of School Nurses
• American Academy of Pediatrics 
• Healthy People 2030
• Pima County Health Department
• Arizona Department of Health Services
• Every Student Succeeds Act
• Individuals with Disabilities Education Act 
• Section 504/Americans with Disabilities Act
• Framework for 21st Century School Nursing Practice

Medications at School

It is our goal to work with parents and students to make certain that medications are given in a safe manner. If your child needs to receive medication at school, please contact the school health office. Students may not carry their own medications in school (emergency medication exceptions noted below).

Please note: 

All medications (including inhalers) must be ordered by your primary care provider licensed to prescribe in Arizona.
 
All medications must be the original prescription bottle/box with a pharmacy label. 
 
A signed medication permission form is required.

Emergency medications that students may carry and self-administer:

• Epinephrine injector
• Inhaler
• Insulin
• Glucagon 

All TUSD schools participate in the laws allowing school nurses to train staff in administering life-saving medications:

• Epinephrine auto-injections for severe allergic reactions
• Albuterol inhaler for respiratory distress/difficulty breathing
• Narcan 

For more details read Medication Policy or talk with your school nurse and health assistant for detailed medication policies and procedures. 

 
 

Proof of current immunizations is required for school attendance under Arizona State Law. You must provide proof of current immunizations in order to enroll your child in school.

If the student has a medical condition or personal belief that conflicts with this law, a waiver may be signed and presented at the time of registration. You may obtain the waiver at any of the Pima County Health locations.

The law does not allow parents or guardians to claim an exemption simply because the child's immunization record is lost or incomplete or because it is too much trouble to go to a physician or clinic.

For more details please read Immunization.