AUSTIN (KXAN) — The Austin Independent School District Board of Trustees approved a number of policy revisions at its regular meeting Thursday evening.
One of those revisions was related to the district’s policy on student activities. According to the agenda item details online, the revision was “recommended to expand parental permission for field trips involving water activities and to identify and protect students who cannot swim.”
It applies to students at all grade levels. It requires an additional parental consent form confirming details about their child’s swimming ability, in addition to the standard permission slip form for field trips.
The policy revision states that, “any field trip that involves an organized water activity, including trips to a swimming pool, lake, or river, schools shall obtain written confirmation of a student’s ability to swim or not before allowing the student to participate in the organized water activity.”
Students who don’t have a completed form confirming their ability or inability to swim will not be permitted to attend the field trip.
For students who cannot swim, the school will be required to provide or ensure the student uses a floatation device that meets the United States Coast Guard Type I, II, and III criteria. Floatation devices will not be required if the students are engaging in swim instruction or competition and are “closely supervised.”
The policy change comes months after an AISD student died following an eighth-grade celebration that was held at Dick Nichols District Park & Neighborhood Pool in May.
The Austin Fire Department told KXAN that it had responded to a medical emergency at the pool at Dick Nichols Park the day of the celebration. AFD said Austin Parks and Recreation Department lifeguards performed initial life-saving measures before EMS medics transported the child to the hospital.
The revision was part of a consent agenda that addressed and revised a few other policies. Details on those can be found on the AISD meetings agenda webpage.
According to the revision, the new policy incorporates features from HB 59, passed by the 88th legislature, also known as Cati’s Act.
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