ARKANSAS
Overall, Arkansas meets 13 of 23 core policy standards and three of 13 extra credit indicators.
The 2016 State Honor Roll of Asthma and Allergy Policies for Schools ranks the states with the best public policies for people with asthma, food allergies, anaphylaxis and related allergic diseases in U.S. elementary, middle and high schools.
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Medication and Treatment Policies:
Meets nine of 12 core policy standards in this category:
| 1. State requires physician’s written instructions to be on file to dispense prescription medication to students. |
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| 2. State policy ensures students’ right to self-carry and self-administer prescribed asthma medication. |
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| 3. State policy ensures students’ right to self-carry and self-administer prescribed anaphylaxis medication. |
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| 4. State policies or procedures shield school personnel from liability for unintended injuries. |
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| 5. State requires local school districts to create asthma and anaphylaxis medication policy and provides resources, guidelines and parameters. |
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| 6. State policy mandates schools to identify and maintain records for students with chronic conditions including asthma and anaphylaxis. |
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| 7. State requires a procedure updating health records periodically. |
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| 8. State requires that schools maintain asthma/allergy incident reports for reactions, attacks, and medications administered. |
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| 9. State requires a student health history form that includes asthma/allergy information to be maintained for each student. |
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| 10. State requires schools to have emergency protocols for asthma. |
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| 11. State requires schools to have emergency protocols for anaphylaxis. |
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| 12. Nurse-to-student ratio is 1:750 or better. |
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Meets one of six extra credit indicators in this category:
| A. State requires anaphylaxis epinephrine stocking and authority to administer in schools. |
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| B. State requires or allows albuterol asthma medication stocking and authority to administer in schools. |
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| C. State has or is preparing an explicit asthma program with policies, procedures and resources for schools to manage students with asthma. |
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| D. State has or is preparing an explicit anaphylaxis program with policies, procedures and resources for schools to manage students with allergies. |
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| E. State has adopted policy that each school will have one full-time nurse. |
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| F. State has adopted policy that school districts provide case management for students with chronic health conditions such as asthma. |
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Awareness Policies:
Meets one of two core policy standards in this category:
| 13. State recognizes problem of asthma in schools and has begun to address it. |
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| 14. State recognizes problem of allergy in schools and has begun to address it. |
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Meets zero of two extra credit indicators in this category:
| G. State sponsors or provides funding for staff training in asthma awareness covering school asthma program/policy and procedures. |
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| H. State sponsors or provides funding for staff training in food allergies. |
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School Environment Policies:
Meets three of nine core policy standards in this category:
| 15. State has mandated that all schools must have Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) management policies. |
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| 16. State has adopted a policy requiring that districts and schools conduct periodic inspections ofheating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) system & other items important in asthma/allergymanagement. |
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| 17. State has IAQ policies that include specific components important in asthma/allergy management (HVAC, HEPA, carpeting, pesticide use). |
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| 18. State recommends/requires that districts or schools use integrated pest management (IPM)techniques OR ban use of pesticides inside school. |
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| 19. State requires schools to notify parents of upcoming pesticide applications. |
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| 20. State limits school bus idling time and establishes proximity restrictions. |
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| 21. All smoking is prohibited in school buildings and on school grounds. |
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| 22. All smoking is prohibited on school buses and at school-related functions. |
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| 23. Tobacco use prevention is required in health education curriculum. |
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Meets two of five extra credit indicators in this category:
| I. State makes funding or resources available for technical IAQ assistance to schools. |
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| J. State recommends standards and programs to promote environmentally preferable materials for school construction, maintenance and cleaning. |
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| K. State requires school facility design standards that include low emission construction materials,pollutant source controls, durable and easy to clean surfaces and floors, moisture/mold controls. |
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| L. State has implemented or actively promotes diesel school bus engine retrofitting program. |
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| M. State requires districts or schools to provide tobacco use cessation services to students. |
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Policy Gaps:
| Asthma Management and Awareness; Outdoor Air Quality |
Noteworthy:
School Nurses: Arkansas enacted an a law establishing a nurse to student ratio of no fewer than one full-time equivalent per 750 students; in districts having a high concentration of disabled students, the ration is reduced to one per 400 students. However, the provisions are effective only upon the availability of state funds.
Epinephrine Stocking:In November 2015, the Arkansas State Board of Health and Arkansas Department of Health released regulations pertaining to public access to auto-injectable epinephrine. These regulations are in pursuant to Act 1108 of 2015, codified at Arkansas Code § 20-13-403 and § 20-13-408 (Auto-injectable epinephrine use by an authorized entity). Trained school nurses, school teachers and other school employees are eligible to receive a certificate to hold and administer auto-injectable epinephrine, but the law does not require schools to stock epinephrine. |
Sources:
View this year’s full report 