School committee advances first reading to update medication-administration policy to align with state rules

The North Middlesex Regional School Committee voted to advance a first reading of policy JLCD, updating how the district will handle administration of emergency medications to students.

Catherine Hampton, the district’s health services director, told the committee the proposed edits were intended to bring the district into compliance with "the updated regulations that were put into effect in July 2025" and cited "105 CMR 2.10 for medication administration in the school systems." She described the draft as permissive: it gives the district the option to delegate administration of certain rescue medications — including naloxone and epinephrine and specifies who may be trained and delegated to administer them — but does not require delegation.

Hampton said the state-prescribed training pathway includes an online UAP course provided through BU SHIELD (Boston University), which takes about 45–60 minutes, followed by medication-specific training and an in-person demonstration with the student’s nurse. "The trainings are free," Hampton said, but she cautioned that the regulation’s requirement for a nurse to be on call whenever a delegated, unlicensed staff member is working would create district costs.

Committee members asked how emergencies are handled now. Hampton said the district uses individualized emergency action plans (EAPs), instructs coaches and after-school staff to call 911 for most events, and provides targeted seizure-management training in cases where students are known to be at risk. She added that while students may carry naloxone under state law, delegation of other rescue medications such as diabetes or seizure rescue medicine would require the state training and an on-call nurse.

Several members voiced support for adopting the policy language to preserve local discretion while administrators study implementation logistics and costs. One committee member summarized the committee’s approach: adopt the policy changes to provide options; have administrators (and Brad Morgan) determine affordability and whether to implement delegation immediately or postpone until nurse-on-call arrangements are feasible.

A motion to give policy JLCD a first reading with the suggested edits accepted was moved and seconded; roll call votes were recorded in favor and the motion carried. The committee thanked Hampton for drafting the revisions and said district protocols will set out which medications — if any — the district will delegate and the operational details for training and nurse-on-call coverage.

Next steps: the policy proceeds as a first reading; staff will draft protocols that specify which medications the district would agree to delegate, detail the nurse-on-call arrangement, and return with implementation options and cost estimates.