Incoming Hawaii seventh-graders will need to schedule health checkups sometime before the 2017-18 school year begins in August.
Starting for this fall, public school students statewide will be required to get a physical exam within 12 months of entering seventh grade.
State law already mandates students complete a physical, as well as meet certain immunization requirements, prior to entering the public school system — typically in kindergarten.
The new seventh-grade mandate, approved last year by the state Legislature, adds a second wellness visit requirement.
Doing so is supposed to help flag teens for preventable health issues that can develop during adolescence — such as obesity — and “reinforce a culture of wellness and preventative health care,” according to language in the 2016 Senate bill.
Next year, there will be about 1,500 seventh-graders enrolled at traditional Hawaii Island public schools, according to the state Department of Education’s sixth-grade enrollment data for the current academic year. Of those, about 900 will attend East Hawaii schools. The new requirement also affects public charter school students.
“I think it’s a great idea,” said Gerlinde Troy, school health aide at Pahoa Elementary School, which sent out a letter to sixth-graders last week to inform them of the new requirement. “Kids are growing, and things are changing, and overall it’s a good thing. It may just be harder on the parents; they don’t have a lot of time.”
The exam must be conducted by a physician, advanced practice registered nurse or physician assistant.
Students who don’t get one can still attend school. However, they and their families should expect to be contacted by the state Department of Health by the end of their seventh-grade year, informing them about health care options available under Medicaid and the federal Affordable Care Act, which generally covers annual checks.
Going forward, students and their parents will be informed about the new requirement upon entering sixth grade.
Other states, including Nebraska, similarly require a seventh-grade physical.
Email Kirsten Johnson at kjohnson@hawaiitribune-herald.com.
