Boise School District Health Services

Screening

In the Boise School District, a core service of our school health program is the ongoing screening for specific problems that, when identified early, can prevent significant health and academic issues. The earlier these health conditions are diagnosed and treated, the more favorable the outlook for treatment and improvement of the child’s general well being. The health screenings that are routinely conducted in our program include height/weight, dental, vision and postural screenings.

Height & Weight
There are wide variations in "normal" height and weight. Many factors, including genetics, can affect a child’s size. For more information on normal growth, growth charts and BMI (Body Mass Index) you can log onto: www.kidsgrowth.com or www.medcalc.com/growth

Dental
Poor dental health can cause pain and affects overall health and a student’s ability to concentrate in the classroom. Our school dental screening looks for the more obvious signs of dental problems, such as red & swollen gums, large cavities, broken teeth, or infections. The purpose of our screening is to detect problems, and is not a substitute for regular dental care.

Vision
The purpose of the school vision screening program is to identify students with visual impairments. Early detection of vision problems will provide a child more opportunity for educational success. We are able to screen for possible problems with distance vision and Amblyopia (lazy eye) at school. We are unable to screen for many vision problems, including those with near vision. For this reason, a more thorough exam by an eye doctor every 2 years is appropriate for most children.

Postural
Scoliosis is an abnormal curvature of the spine that occurs in the cervical, thoracic and/or lumbar spine. Scoliosis occurs during rapid growth spurts during the pre-adolescent and adolescent periods. The purpose of school screening is to detect scoliosis at an early stage when it can be monitored and early treatment programs will be effective in halting progression of the deformity.

As a part of the Boise School District health program, vision, dental and health/weight screening are conducted in Kindergarten, Second and Fifth grade students. And postural screening is conducted in Fifth and Seventh grade girls and Eighth grade boys. Referral forms are sent home with any student who may need further evaluation.