By Andrew Martins
Staff Writer
JACKSON – Administrators in the Jackson School District are now using an online program to help parents schedule a physical for students who want to participate in school sports.
In previous years, administrators would establish a specific date and time for physicals for each sport. A student who wanted to participate in a sport had to have his or her physical that day.
“What we wanted to do this year was open up the days and provide parents with the opportunity to pick a time slot that works better for them,” district spokeswoman Allison Erwin said. “We think this is going to be a great convenience for the parents, since they will know exactly when they will get in and get out.”
For the upcoming school year, physicals for all sports will be held at Jackson Liberty High School.
On June 1, physicals for Jackson Liberty High School and Christa McAuliffe Middle School students will be offered.
On June 6, physicals for Jackson Memorial High School and Carl W. Goetz Middle School students will be offered.
Erwin said parents are being encouraged to sign up online through a Google document hosted on the district website before bringing in their child for an examination. Administrators are trying to discourage walk-ins.
“Problems happen and conflicts arise, and we will certainly try our best to accommodate everyone if they can’t keep their appointment, but this really just makes things easier for everyone involved,” Erwin said.
The online registration process has been running for weeks, but Erwin said that as of May 18 there were still several hundred time slots available for physicals.
Erwin said administrators keep track of how many students need a physical each year, with the current count nearing 1,000 students in need of an exam. She said there is a large disparity between the number of students who are expected to need an exam and the number of students who have registered for a physical.
“We can’t stress enough how important it is to select (a) spot ahead of time,” Erwin said.
Erwin said the examination that is offered by the school district is free. Parents may choose to have their family doctor conduct the student’s physical at whatever cost may apply on an individual basis. The completed physical packet must be submitted by June 6.
For instructions on how to register for a physical examination or to obtain the required packet, visit www.jacksonsd.org