Policy 521-R Immunization of Students Regulations

All students are required to provide proof of immunizations or legal documentation exempting the student from such immunizations.

A. No student may be enrolled or remain enrolled on a full-time, part-time, or shared-time basis, in the school district until the student or the student’s parent or guardian has submitted the required proof of immunization or legal exemption. Proof of immunization or exemption can include (1) up-to-date vaccinations; (2) evidence of actively, in-progress receiving vacations series; or (3) provide legal exemption to vaccinations.  Proof of immunizations must show month, day and year that vaccinations were given.

B. When there is evidence of the presence of a communicable disease, or when required by any state or federal agency and/or state or federal law, students and/or their parents or guardians may be required to submit such other health care data as is necessary to ensure that the student has received any necessary immunizations and/or is free of any communicable diseases. No student may be enrolled or remain enrolled in any early childhood program, elementary or secondary school within the school district until the student or the student’s parent or guardian has submitted the required data.

C. If a person who is not a Minnesota resident enrolls in a school district online learning course or program that delivers instruction to the person only by computer and does not provide any teacher or instructor contact time or required classroom attendance, the person is not subject to the immunization, statement, and other requirements of the policy. 

Students will be exempt from the foregoing immunization requirements under the following circumstances:

A. The parent or guardian of a minor student or an emancipated student submits a physician’s signed statement stating that the immunization of the student is contraindicated for medical reasons or that laboratory confirmation of the presence of adequate immunity exists, or 

B. The parent or guardian of a minor student or an emancipated student submits his or her notarized statement stating the student has not been immunized because of the conscientiously held beliefs of the parent, guardian or student. 

The school district will develop and implement procedures to:

1. notify parents and students of the immunization and exemption requirements by use of a form approved by the Department of Health;

2. notify parents and students of the consequences for failure to provide required documentation regarding immunization;

3. review student health records to determine whether the required information has been provided; and

4. make reasonable arrangements to send a student home when the immunization requirements have not been met and advise the student and/or the student’s parent or guardian of the conditions for re-enrollment.

5. The notice provided shall contain written information describing the exemptions from immunization as permitted by law. The notice shall be in a font size at least equal to the font size and style as the immunization requirements and on the same page as the immunization requirements. 

A. The school district will maintain a file containing the immunization records for each student in attendance at the school district for at least five years after the student attains the age of majority.

B. Upon request, the school district may exchange immunization data with persons or agencies providing services on behalf of the student. Immunization data is private student data and disclosure of such data shall be governed by Policy 511 Protection and Privacy of Pupil Records.

C. The designated school district employee will assist a student and/or the student’s parent or guardian in the transfer of the student’s immunization file to the student’s new school within 30 days of the student’s transfer.

D. Upon request of a public or private post-secondary institution, the designated school district employee will assist in the transfer of the student’s immunization file to the post-secondary educational institution.

Each school year, the district will submit a student vaccination report to the Minnesota Department of Health.

• Adopted: December 13, 1999
• Amended: August 16, 2004
• Amended: July 13, 2015
• Amended: October 12, 2020
• Last Reviewed: October 12, 2020

• Policy 521 - Immunization of Students