Kennewick looking at parent notification procedures after student physical

The Kennewick School District may revise the way it notifies parents after an Eastgate Elementary School student was taken off school grounds for a health physical without his mother’s knowledge.

The third-grader received a basic exam, including a skin test for tuberculosis, in late October at the Tri-Cities Community Health clinic next to Amistad Elementary School. The exam was given as part of the student’s participation in the state’s Migrant Education Health Program administered through the district.

Maria Torres didn’t learn about her son’s trip to the clinic until she came home from work that day and a relative watching her children asked if she’d taken the boy to the doctor. Her son then told her that he was called to the Eastgate office about the appointment. He told his mom he was surprised when a woman took him to the clinic, which is about two miles away, without her.

Torres visited the clinic the next day and asked for information about the physical, as she thought the test site for the tuberculosis test was from a vaccination, which shouldn’t have been needed as her son’s vaccinations were up to date. Clinic staff said they couldn’t provide her any information and directed her to the district.

“I’m disappointed because I’m dedicated to my children’s education,” Torres said, noting she volunteers at her son’s school and is familiar with his teachers.

Torres had signed her son and a younger daughter up for the migrant program in February, when the family moved back to Kennewick after a brief stint in Eltopia. Enrolling involved signing a document that said her children could receive a health physical exam if applicable.

District spokeswoman Robyn Chastain said the health exams are provided at no cost to any student in the program with no record of receiving a physical in the past three years. There are 2,000 children in Kennewick’s program, and about 100 so far have received physicals this school year.

Torres said she never saw a related parent permission form outlining what happens at those physical exams. The district confirmed that it did not have a copy of this “parent permission to examine” form on file with Torres’ signature.

Jennifer Robinson, chief operations officer for Tri-Cities Community Health, said the health care provider has a contract with the migrant program to conduct the physicals. However, because those students aren’t regular patients, the clinic doesn’t maintain a regular medical record for them, instead transferring all the information to the migrant program. And that’s why clinic staff weren’t able to provide information to Torres.

“We probably didn’t do a good job of communicating that to her,” Robinson said.

Torres’ son’s regular physician did get information about the exam after requesting the records. He told her the exam wasn’t needed, Torres said.

District officials have apologized to Torres for the confusion and said she should have been notified about the exam. Chastain said this is the first time a parent has registered a complaint about the exam or program, which also provides students with school lunches and school supplies, and makes them eligible for summer programs and field trips, college planning and other support.

“We do inform parents both verbally and in writing when they register, but moving forward, it also seems like it makes sense to notify them again so that they have the opportunity to present updated records,” she said.

Torres said she doesn’t want another parent to go through the uncertainty she did.

“As long as they do their part and keep me informed, I’m fine with it,” she said. “We parents need to know what’s going on with our kids.”

This story was originally published November 21, 2015 at 4:38 PM with the headline "Kennewick looking at parent notification procedures after student physical."