School Board to Tackle Concussion Policy

School officials in District 13 will likely soon consider a policy to deal with concussions, including providing student-athletes with baseline testing to better monitor their health.

Within the past year, approximately ten students in the district suffered a concussion while participating in sporting events at the high school and middle school level, according to superintendent Susan Viccaro.

During Wednesday night's Board of Education meeting Viccaro told board members she was moved to raise the issue after meeting with a parent whose daughter suffered the sudden brain injury while playing soccer. The parent, Viccaro said, provided her with a "great deal" of information on concussions.

"I definitely think this is worthy of investigation," explained Viccaro who said she planned to review the material, as well as meet with Dr. Adam Perrin, a local doctor with expertise in the field, before returning to the board with suggestions.

"In a number of sports, everything from soccer, we had both boys and girls with concussions this year... certainly in football," she said.

Currently, all coaches holding a coaching permit from the State Board of Education are required to complete a three-hour concussion training course. Other requirements based on a law passed in 2010 are found here.

Viccaro proposed the possibility of taking the law one step further, by performing baseline tests on student-athletes.

"A number of schools are doing that," Viccaro said about the tests which are conducted before the season begins and measure memory, brain processing speed and reaction time. The baseline measurements are then compared to the results of tests on a student-athletes believed to have suffered a concussion.

Viccaro said it was too early to know how much the testing might cost the district, but she believed it was between $500 to $1000. As far as she could tell the price would be well worth the benefit of improving student's safety.

"They really know far more now about the brain and about what happens during a concussion. I just think it behooves us to really take a look at this," she said.

Board member Bob Fulton said it was important for the district to have a discussion with its insurance carriers to discuss the implications of baseline testing.

Another member of the board, Nancy Boyle, said hiring a single outside doctor to conduct the baseline tests would make the results more easily accessible to coaches who might be forced to perform a concussion test on a student-athlete.

Viccaro added that a policy would also clear up confusion over who can clear a student to play again after suffering a concussion.

"I think just from a safety standpoint we want to clarify that process and procedure."