Text of Statute

School physicians may make examinations, which shall include tests to determine the existence of hearing defects, and diagnoses of all children referred to them. They may make such examination of teachers and other school employees and inspection of school buildings as in their opinion the protection of health of the pupils, teachers, and other school employees requires.

Boards of education shall require and provide, in accordance with section 3313.67 of the Revised Code, such tests and examinations for tuberculosis of pupils in selected grades and of school employees as may be required by the Ohio public health council.

Boards may require annual tuberculin tests of any grades. All pupils with positive reactions to the test shall have chest x-rays and all positive reactions and x-ray findings shall be reported promptly to the county record bureau of tuberculosis cases provided for in section 339.42 of the Revised Code. Boards shall waive the required test where a pupil presents a written statement from his family physician certifying that such test has been given and that such pupil is free from tuberculosis in a communicable stage, or that such test is inadvisable for medical reasons, or from his parent or guardian objecting to such test because of religious convictions.

Whenever a pupil, teacher, or other school employee is found to be ill or suffering from tuberculosis in a communicable stage or other communicable disease, the school physician shall promptly send such pupil, teacher, or other school employee home, with a statement, in the case of a pupil, to its parents or guardian, briefly setting forth the discovered facts, and advising that the family physician be consulted. School physicians shall keep accurate card-index records of all examinations, and said records, that they may be uniform throughout the state, shall be according to the form prescribed by the state board of education, and the reports shall be made according to the method of said form. If the parent or guardian of any pupil or any teacher or other school employee, after notice from the board of education, furnishes within two weeks thereafter the written certificate of any reputable physician that the pupil, teacher, or other school employee has been examined, in such cases the service of the school physician shall be dispensed with and such certificate shall be furnished by such parent or guardian, as required by the board of education. Such individual records shall not be open to the public and shall be solely for the use of the boards of education and boards of health officer. If any teacher or other school employee is found to have tuberculosis in a communicable stage or other communicable disease, his employment shall be discontinued or suspended upon such terms as to salary as the board deems just until the school physician has certified to a recovery from such disease. The methods of making the tuberculin tests and chest x-rays required by this section shall be such as are approved by the director of health.

HISTORY: GC § 4838-8; 120 v 475 (531); Bureau of Code Revision, 10-1-53; 126 v 655 (672) (Eff 1-3-56); 133 v S 1 (Eff 8-13-69); 134 v S 221 (Eff 2-3-72); 136 v H 585. Eff 8-15-75.