Prince William County Public Schools (PWCS) is committed to ensuring that students with diabetes receive the care, support, and oversight they need to remain healthy, safe, and ready to learn. Our goal is to create a learning environment where every student can thrive while managing their health with confidence.
PWCS follows all requirements set forth by the Commonwealth of Virginia and adheres strictly to each student’s Diabetes Medical Management Plan (DMMP), which must be submitted at the start of every school year. The DMMP, completed and signed by the student’s healthcare provider, serves as the foundation for diabetes care in school.
School nurses and trained diabetes care personnel administer insulin and glucagon, support glucose monitoring, and use diabetes equipment only to the extent authorized in the student’s DMMP. While we collaborate closely with families, PWCS staff must always follow provider directives and legal requirements to ensure student safety.
Using the DMMP, school nurses develop an individualized Healthcare Plan that outlines a student's daily support needs and emergency procedures. Relevant information is shared with essential school personnel—such as teachers, cafeteria staff, and transportation staff—to ensure coordinated support throughout the school day.
PWCS encourages age-appropriate independence and works with families and healthcare providers to determine whether a student can safely self-carry diabetes supplies or self-administer diabetes care. When self-management is appropriate, school nurses provide education, oversight, and guidance to help students develop confidence in managing their condition.
PWCS exceeds Virginia Code requirements by ensuring that a minimum of three staff members at every school are fully trained in the administration of insulin and glucagon. This ensures that students with diabetes have access to timely and competent care at all times during the school day.
School nurses work closely with students and families to support daily diabetes care tasks, such as glucose monitoring, insulin administration, carbohydrate counting, and ketone monitoring, always in accordance with the DMMP. PWCS routinely evaluates its plans, procedures, and staff training to ensure the highest standard of care for every student with diabetes.
PWCS has fully implemented a divisionwide Secondary Device Support System to enhance the safety and support of students managing diabetes and other medical conditions that rely on continuous glucose monitors (CGMs). As part of this system, all schools are equipped with iPads designated as secondary monitoring devices.
These devices provide an additional layer of protection by enabling timely responses to CGM alerts, reducing delays in identifying significant glucose changes, and helping prevent both hypoglycemia and hyperglycemia. The Secondary Device Support System ensures PWCS staff can quickly recognize and respond to urgent health needs, supporting student well-being and readiness to learn.