West Virginia Code of State Rules
Agency 126 - Education
Title 126 - LEGISLATIVE RULE BOARD OF EDUCATION
Series 126-051 - Health Promotion and Disease Prevention (2423)
Section 126-51-8 - Disease Prevention Measure Through Practice and Education

8.1. All county boards of education must incorporate hand washing into the county board of education policy, as defined in W. Va. 126CSR25A, WVBE Policy 2422.7, Standards For Basic and Specialized Health Care Procedures, and as outlined in The Basic and Specialized Health Care Procedures Manual for West Virginia Public Schools. It is best practice to wash the hands with soap and clean running water for twenty seconds. However, if soap and clean water are not available, use an alcohol-based product to clean the hands is acceptable practice. Alcohol-based hand rubs significantly reduce the number of germs on skin and are fast acting. Good hand hygiene is the single most effective procedure to prevent the spread of communicable disease in the school setting. An allowance for hand washing should be incorporated into the daily routine of all students in West Virginia public schools, especially before eating, after blowing the nose, coughing, or sneezing, after going to the bathroom and as deemed necessary by school.

8.2. Instruction on the principle modes by which communicable diseases, including, but not limited to, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) are prevented, spread and transmitted shall be taught to students as outlined in W. Va. 126CSR44E, WVBE Policy 2520.5, Next Generation Health Education Content Standards and Objectives. An opportunity shall be afforded to the parent or guardian of a child subject to instruction in the prevention, transmission and spread of HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases to examine the course curriculum requirements and materials to be used in such instruction. The parent or guardian may exempt such child from participation in such instruction by giving notice to that effect in writing to the school principal as set forth in W. Va. Code § 18-2-9.

8.3. An educational in-service on the prevention, transmission and treatment of current communicable diseases shall include, but not limited to, AIDS, shall be provided to all school personnel every two years by the county boards of education, as specified in W. Va. Code § 18-2-9 and § 18-5-15 d.