Journal Company   
                        The Providence Journal-Bulletin



                  November 15, 1996, Friday,  EAST BAY EDITION

SECTION: NEWS, 

 Pg. 1C  

LENGTH: 409 words  

HEADLINE: Proposed HIV rules get first reading;
In addition to hearing the proposed AIDS policy, the outgoing 
School Committee discusses parts of the general Student Policy 
statement.  

BYLINE: JERRY O'BRIEN; Journal-Bulletin Staff Writer  

DATELINE: MIDDLETOWN  

BODY: 

   A new policy governing the treatment of students and School 
Department employees who are infected with HIV, the virus that 
causes AIDS, was presented in a first reading last night to the 
School Committee.  

   The session was the last for the present committee. In the 
wake of a general election that will bring in three freshman 
members, the HIV policy will be adopted later by the new 
committee.  

     The proposed policy already has been approved by state 
officials and prompted no discussion. Among the policy's stated 
goals are:  

   To protect against the transmission of HIV from infected 
individuals to others.  

   To protect the health and well-being of the infected person 
and to enable that person to take part in normal school 
activities with a minimum of disruption.  

   To provide the necessary preventive health measures, while 
maintaining the infected individual's rights or confidentiality.  

   The policy states that when a student or employee has tested 
positive for HIV, it is optional for that person to notify the 
superintendent. Further, the policy notes that state and federal 
law prohibit discrimination against individuals who are infected 
with, or who are perceived to be infected with, the virus.  

   "Selected persons in the school system may need to know the 
identity of the symptomatic HIV-positive employees and/or 
students," the proposed policy reads.  

   "The decision to inform personnel should be made by the 
Superintendent of Schools only with the written permission of the 
infected employee/student and parent or guardian and, with a 
signed release of information, in consultation with the infected 
person's physician," the proposed policy says.  

   IN ANOTHER first reading last night, the committee considered 
changes to the general Student Policy statement, which covers 
topics such as admission, attendance and eligibility.  

   The section on conduct prompted a brief discussion, when 
committee member William R. Stout said that a requirement that 
students make a "reasonable effort in their duties" was not 
strong enough. Stout wanted a "best effort" to be required.  

   "We can expect it," Stout said. "I don't know if we'll get it. 
I'd like to see something more forceful in here than 'reasonable 
effort.' "  

   Noting that the section on conduct already required students 
to behave in a "respectful, orderly manner within or outside 
their schoolroom," the committee finally decided to delete 
altogether the mention of effort.