See if your student needs dental or vision exams to satisfy school requirements
The first day of school for Champaign-Urbana area students is just weeks away (eek!). And while you may never have all your ducks in a row in 2020, at least the back-to-school dental and vision exams shouldn’t be your biggest source of stress. They aren’t required for all grades in Illinois, and the first deadline coming up isn’t until mid-October. So don’t forget to breathe… in and out… and read on.
Requirements vary based on what grade your child is entering. Here’s what you’ll need to know to get your child ready for the 2020-21 school year.
Thank you to Christie Clinic for presenting our 2020 Champaign-Urbana Area Back to School series.
Christie Clinic is encouraging parents to schedule a school physical soon.
Starting school physical appointments now will allow Christie Clinic Department of Pediatrics and Department of Family Medicine to best serve all patients while maintaining a safe visit environment. Enhanced precautions are in place to keep patients and team members safe including additional hours, visitor restrictions and social distancing to reduce the number of people in our facilities.
Parents can currently make back-to-school appointments for their children through their MyChristie patient portal or online at christieclinic.com.
Part 1 — Back to School: School Physicals Required for Illinois Schoolchildren
Part 2 — Back to School: Immunizations Required for Illinois Schoolchildren
Part 3 — Back to School: Champaign-Urbana Area School Registration Information
Part 4 — Back to School: Champaign-Urbana Area School Start Dates
Part 5 — Back to School: Dental, Vision Exams Required for Illinois Schoolchildren
Part 6 — Back to School: Top Nine Tips to Prepare for a Return to School Routine
Post 7 — Back to School: Eight Things You Didn’t Know You Needed
Dental Exam
The Illinois State Board of Education requires that all children in kindergarten, second, sixth, and ninth grades have an oral health examination. The examination must be performed by a licensed dentist and a Proof of Dental Examination Form must be completed by the dentist. The Proof of Dental Examination Form must be completed prior to May 15 of the current school year, and your child’s exam must have taken place in the 18 months preceding that due date. Translation: for school year 2020-21, a valid dental exam would fall between Nov. 15, 2019, and May 15, 2021. Even though families still have quite a bit of time before this deadline approaches, it can’t hurt to get that appointment out of the way.
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Eye Exam
All students enrolling in kindergarten, and any student enrolling for the first time in Illinois (with the exception of preschoolers) must have an eye examination. A licensed optometrist or medical doctor who performs eye exams (such as an ophthalmologist) must perform the exam.
The required form must be submitted by Oct. 15 of the current school year. An eye exam that has taken place during the year prior to the first day of school is valid for this requirement. So for students entering kindergarten in fall of 2020 — or for students in any grade who are new to school in Illinois in the fall of 2020 — the eye exam needs to have taken place between August 2019 and October 2020. Our readers have provided some recommendations for area eye doctors.
(Note that this eye exam requirement is separate from the annual vision screenings provided in all public, charter, and private schools in Illinois, from preschool through second grade and again in eighth grade.)