Milton families have until Sept. 15 to opt out of school health screenings

Milton Public Schools families have until Tuesday, Sept. 15, to opt out of annual health screenings that school nurses will conduct across the district this fall.

The screenings, required under state law, cover vision, hearing, growth and posture at specific grade levels. A separate statute requires verbal substance-use screenings, known as SBIRT (Screening, Brief Intervention, Referral to Treatment), at two grade levels of the district's choosing; Milton has selected eighth and tenth grade, though the state recommends seventh and ninth.

The district posted the screening schedule on Sept. 8.

Screening schedule by grade

Not every student sits for every test. The schedule breaks down by grade:

Vision: Pre-K through fifth grade, seventh grade and tenth grade
Hearing: Kindergarten through third grade, seventh grade and tenth grade
Growth (height, weight and BMI): First, fourth, seventh and tenth grades
Posture (scoliosis): Fifth through ninth grades
SBIRT (substance use): Eighth and tenth grades

The substance-use screening uses the CRAFFT+N tool, which the Massachusetts Department of Public Health recommends because it includes questions about vaping and nicotine, according to the state Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.

How to opt out

Parents or guardians who want to exclude their child from any or all screenings must notify their school nurse in writing by Sept. 15. The opt-out must be renewed each year.

Families whose children already receive treatment for a vision, hearing or posture condition should provide the school nurse with current medical documentation.

If a vision, hearing or postural screening flags a concern, the district said parents will receive a notification and a request for a follow-up report from the student's healthcare provider.