Home > Governing Board > Board Policies > Series 4000 > Board Policy

Governing Board Policies
Series 4000

Return to Policies 4000 Series Table of Contents

Replaced with Policy Code GBBCA, Staff Health-Communicable Disease
Available in MS Word | Available in Adobe PDF
and
Policy Code GBGC, Staff Health and Safety
Available in MS Word | Available in Adobe PDF

PHYSICAL FITNESS

BOARD POLICY 4030

Employees shall not possess, use or be under the influence of intoxicating liquor or controlled illegal substances, including but not limited to marijuana, cocaine, crack, heroin, and LSD, while on duty, on school premises or at any time while acting within the scope of employment.

PRE-EMPLOYMENT EXAMINATION

A physical examination, including a tuberculosis test, shall be required of all prospective employees as a condition of employment. The pre-employment physical examination program will:

1. Comply with all applicable state and federal laws governing employee selection, advancement, and retention.

2. Comply with all applicable union agreements governing employee selection, advancement, and retention.

3. Facilitate placement of candidates who are able to perform the duties of their position.

4. Provide general guidelines to personal physicians and the TUSD Examining Physician in determining the fitness of a person for employment with TUSD.

5. Furnish medical information on a "need to know" basis to the Director of Personnel, appointing administrators or their designees on candidates to assist in effective personnel administration and management.

Transportation employees whose duties involve direct contact with school children and their physical safety or whose job performance impacts on the physical safety of students, including bus drivers, bus monitors and bus mechanics, and any of their supervisors, shall be required to submit to urinalysis drug testing as a part of their pre-employment physical examination. The privacy interests of employees shall be taken into consideration in administering the test. If the initial drug test results are positive during the pre-employment physical, a second confirming test shall be performed using gas chromatography. If test results are confirmed, the applicant shall not be considered for employment.

URINALYSIS DRUG TESTS

The Governing Board has an overriding and compelling interest in protecting the physical safety of school children. Because of their unique position and their direct impact on the physical safety of children, Transportation Department employees, including bus drivers, bus mechanics and bus monitors, and any of their supervisors, shall be required to submit to urinalysis drug testing as a part of their annual routine physical examination during their period of employment. If the initial drug test results are positive during a routine annual physical examination, a second confirming test shall be performed using gas chromatography. If positive results are confirmed for the presence of illegal chemical substances, the employee shall be subject to termination, using established due process procedures. The administration shall develop rules and regulations regarding the procedures and use of drug testing which shall ensure the privacy interests of employees and the confidentiality of test result information.

COMMUNICABLE DISEASE

Any employee with a communicable disease shall be excluded from work for the period of time designated in the "Pima County Health Department Policy for the Prevention and Control of Communicable Disease."

The District will consider the assignment of an employee who has Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS) on a case-by-case basis. The employee who has direct involvement with students requires special consideration.

The Superintendent will determine the employee's assignment based upon information collected from a physical examination conducted by the employee's personal physician in conjunction with recommendations from the school physician consultant. The examination and recommendations will determine whether:

1. The employee is free from transmissible infection;

2. The employee is in immediate danger from infections that normally occur in the respective work setting.

After the initial assignment, the Superintendent may reassign an employee with AIDS according to ongoing medical evaluations. For example, the symptomatic employee MAY BE reassigned to protect the employee and students.

PERFORMANCE-RELATED EXAMINATION

The Governing Board reserves the right to require psychiatric examinations or an additional physical examination of all employees. This requirement must be met when, in the opinion of a supervisor, an employee's ability to fulfill his/her duties is jeopardized by the employee's physical or emotional condition. The expense of this examination will be paid by the school district.

If the District has reasonable suspicion based on specific objective facts that an individual employee, whose duties involve school children and their physical safety, is using or is under the influence of illegal chemical substances or alcohol while on duty, the District may require that employee to submit, immediately, to urinalysis drug testing or intoxilyzer testing. If the initial drug test results are positive, a second confirming test shall be performed using gas chromatography. If the test results confirm positive, the employee shall be subject to termination using established due process procedures.

RETURN-TO-WORK EVALUATIONS

The suitability for any employee returning to work from a paid or unpaid leave of absence due to illness, injury, or any other health reason shall be stated in writing by the attending physician.

Cross References:

Governing Board Policy 4020, Filling of Vacancies

Governing Board Policy 4360, Smoking, Use of Controlled Substance and Alcohol

TUCSON UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT
Tucson, Arizona

Adopted by Board: September 17, 1985
Revised by Board: November 19, 1985
Revised by Board: October 10, 1989
Replaced with Policy Code GBGC, August 3, 2004
(Available in MS Word | Available in Adobe PDF)
and Policy Code GBBCA, August 10, 2004
(Available in MS Word | Available in Adobe PDF)

Home | District Information | Governing Board | Student Guidelines |
Departments | Schools | Employment | News and Events | Contents