Schools

Chappaqua School Board Plans Student Concussion Policy

School board members talk about doing baseline testing for student athletes. New law, which requires schools to bench athletes with concussions, takes effect in July.

To get ready for a new state law that tightens regulations for handling student concussions, Chappaqua's school board is considering a policy to comply.

The policy was first raised at the board's Feb. 28 meeting.

“This is, you know, what we consider our first read,” said school board President Alyson Kiesel.

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Under the policy being considered, student athletes will be cognitively tested before play so that there is "baseline" data with which to compare in the event of a concussion.

Athletic Director Steve Young, who was consulted about the proposed policy, discussed how baseline is not the only issue in athletes who may return to play. Whether or not students can return to playing is up to the athletic director, Kiesel said.

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“I think that was an important part of the policy,” she said.

The district also consulted with legal counsel, a policy committee and with the school physician.

School board member Randall Katchis feels that such screenings are “very, very valuable.” Katchis cited an anecdote for a kids hockey team that he coaches, in which someone on the team may have sustained a concussion. Katchis said that he spoke with the person's father, who explained that a baseline test had been done.

Some board members asked about how students who do not play on teams could be impacted. Board member Karen Visser, for example, asked about students in gym class. As a solution, school board Vice President Jeffrey Mester suggested offering baseline testing to students who are not athletes but for a fee.

Katchis, along with fellow board member Victoria Tipp, supported the idea of using the policy for students it's intended for now, then considering an expansion in the future.


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