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Academic success doesn’t happen in a vacuum. Students bring their whole selves to school – their health, emotions, learning needs, languages, talents, and identities. Durham Public Schools recognizes this, and has built a system of supports to meet students where they are.
In Part 5 of our handbook series, Southpoint Access explores how DPS supports the whole child, from medical care and counseling to special education and gifted services.
🏥 Health Services: Medications, Action Plans, and Immunizations
Every DPS school is supported by school nurses who help manage chronic conditions, respond to emergencies, and support health screenings.
📝 What families should know:
- Medication at school requires a form signed by a doctor and guardian (no exceptions)
- Students with chronic conditions (asthma, seizures, diabetes, etc.) must have an emergency action plan
- North Carolina law requires up-to-date immunizations and a health assessment for all new students and rising kindergartners
📌 Policy Reference: 6125 – Administering Medicines to Students
🧠 Mental Health: Every School Has a Counselor
DPS is expanding access to school-based mental health services.
- Every school has at least one licensed school counselor
- School social workers and psychologists provide additional support for behavior, attendance, and crisis response
- Many schools offer in-house therapy services through local providers (e.g., El Futuro, Center for Child & Family Health)
💬 Students can request a meeting through a counselor, teacher, or administrator.
💡 All DPS staff are trained in suicide prevention and confidentiality.
📌 Policy Reference: 3620 – Student Support Services
🧩 Exceptional Children (EC) Services: Special Education and IEPs
Students with disabilities may qualify for Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) under federal IDEA law.
EC services can include:
- Speech or occupational therapy
- Resource classroom support
- Behavioral or social skills services
- Assistive technology
- Transportation services
👪 Families can request an evaluation at any time. If a student qualifies, an IEP team (including the parent) meets to create a custom plan.
📄 504 Plans: Accommodations Without an IEP
If a student has a physical or mental health condition that substantially limits a major life activity – but doesn’t require special education – they may qualify for a 504 Plan.
Common 504 accommodations:
- Extended test time
- Permission to carry snacks/meds
- Breaks for anxiety
- Preferential seating
Parents can request a 504 evaluation by contacting their child’s counselor or assistant principal.
📌 Policy Reference: 6220 – Student Health Services
🌍 English Learner (EL) Supports
Students whose home language is not English may qualify for English Learner services, including:
- ESL-certified teachers
- Bilingual classroom support
- Translation and interpreter services for families
- WIDA ACCESS testing to measure language growth
DPS provides language access at meetings, IEP sessions, and parent-teacher conferences. Interpreters are available in multiple languages.
📌 Required by Title III of ESSA
🚀 Gifted Education: AIG Services in DPS
DPS supports Academically or Intellectually Gifted (AIG) students through enrichment, acceleration, and advanced coursework.
AIG services may include:
- Differentiated instruction in regular classrooms
- Advanced math or language arts placement
- AIG-designated teachers or classrooms
- Independent projects or curriculum extensions
Students are identified through a multi-step process, and families can request screening or appeal AIG placement decisions.
📌 Policy Reference: 3450 – Advanced Learning Opportunities
📘 DPS AIG Program
🧭 Final Article Coming Soon:
Part 6 – “Discipline, Restorative Practices, and Student Rights”
We’ll wrap up the series with a look at DPS’s Code of Conduct, restorative alternatives to suspension, due process protections, and how families can advocate for fairness and accountability.
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Author: Wes Platt
Lead storyteller. Game designer and journalist. Recovering Floridian. Email: southpointaccessnews@gmail.com.
