New law requires Arizona schools give students eye exams 3 times throughout public, charter education

PHOENIX — Around half a million students in Arizona’s public and charter schools are receiving free vision screenings thanks to a new state law that took effect this year.

These screenings can help catch eye problems that could threaten a child’s healthy development and educational progress early, according to the leader of a coalition that helped shape the law.

Karen Woodhouse is the director of Eyes on Learning, a public-private group of people passionate about ensuring Arizonan kids have healthy eyes. The group has played a critical role in securing funding for the screenings.

“In the general population of school-aged children, over 25% do have some kind of visual impairment,” Woodhouse told KTAR News 92.3 FM on Wednesday. “Some are diagnosed; some are not.”

It’s yet another issue plaguing Arizona, which is notorious for being one of the lowest-ranking states in terms of public education.

Why do Arizona students need free vision screenings?

Undiagnosed vision issues can create significant barriers to a student’s learning, according to Woodhouse.

“If they can’t see the whiteboard or they can’t see something in the classroom that’s vital to their learning, that is going to impact their learning trajectory,” she said.

Not being able to see whiteboards or track what’s going on in the classroom can even cause a child to have behavioral issues.

“Kids are often misdiagnosed with a problem with ADHD or something else, and that’s truly not what’s causing the problem,” Woodhouse said.

She sees the distribution of the vision screening kits to Arizona schools as an easy, efficient and cost-effective way to catch vision problems early.

“We want to make sure that we identify kids with any vision problems early, help connect that child to an eye exam and then, hopefully, that child’s getting treatment and back in the classroom and ready to learn,” Woodhouse said.

How do the free vision screenings given to Arizona students work?

Over 800 of the kits, which contain eye charts, measuring tape, eye occluders and tools for checking color vision impairment, have been distributed since 2020.

Although the retail value for one kit is around $500, schools don’t have to pay a cent.

A variety of donations from nonprofits such as the Virginia G. Piper Charitable Trust and the Nina Mason Pulliam Charitable Trust make the distribution of the kits possible, she added.

“Granted, schools still have to have staff resources to go ahead and do vision screenings,” Woodhouse said. “But at least they’re not worried about having to budget for purchasing the tools and equipment.”

The free vision screenings are typically administered by school nurses, over 500 of whom have been certified to give these tests to children.

However, school representatives, community partners and volunteers can be certified to give children these free vision screenings.

Certification is valid for four years.

“The results are data-managed. A school nurse or school health provider can pull off the report,” Woodhouse said. “They know which children the screening showed might have a problem and who needs to be referred to an eye doctor.”

Why are Arizona kids receiving free vision screenings?

A law that took effect in May requires Arizona’s public and charter schools to provide vision screenings for students at three different times of their educational journeys.

First, schools must offer screening when kids enter school, whether that’s in pre-K or kindergarten.

Second, the screenings must be offered again in third grade.

The final round of mandatory screenings will take place in seventh grade.

However, schools can choose to screen children in other grades on top of those three. They can even screen children every year.

Parents can opt their children out of the vision screening process. Students enrolled in private education programs also aren’t included in the vision screening population, along with students who are diagnosed as being legally blind or having a vision impairment.

Where did the program to provide free vision screenings come from?

The law was approved by former Gov. Doug Ducey in 2019, but its implementation was delayed due to the pandemic.

The Arizona Department of Health Services (ADHS) then spent years writing the rules of the vision screening regulations.

The Arizona Governor’s Regulatory Review Council approved ADHS’ final rules for the vision screening program this May.