registered my non-vaxed 5 year old...

[emma1325]

for kindergarten recently (public school here in Texas).

This is how it went down:

I walked up to the counter and turned in all my forms; the completed application, her birth certificate, social security card, and legal notarized vaccine exemption.

The secretary looked confused and asked what the exemption form was. I told her it was her vaccine exemption. She stood up and carried the form to the school nurse. They spoke quietly in the other room for a few minutes. I started tapping my foot. lol

The secretary came out and said:

Ok, it'll just be a few minutes.




20 minutes later, after I saw 10 or 15 other parents come and go registering their child quickly with no problems or waiting, the nurse emerged from her office with the exemption. She handed it to the secretary and said "ok." I looked at the school nurse and asked her, "Don't you see many vaccine exemptions here?" and she replied, "Oh, I've seen them, I just had to check with the health department on it."

???

I didn't respond, but I was kind of irritated. None of the other moms had to stand there waiting...they just handed in their stuff, the secretary glanced at it all, and they left. I was the only one who was made to stand there waiting like an idiot...like a person who's trying to get something over on somebody.

I took the proper legal steps to obtain my children's exemptions. I don't think I should have been made to wait for the nurse to "check" on my exemption to make sure it was valid...it was sealed, signed and notarized.



Am I over-reacting?

[Drummer's Wife]

I would have been annoyed to have to wait, too. I wonder if she is used to the exemption coming straight from the health department? Here they mail a copy to the school so it seems more 'official', though it also has to be signed by us and a notary. I've gone to the health dept. and waited for them to approve them and hand-delivered them to our school before w/o problems - but I do wonder if the nurse then calls to verify it.

[7thDaughter]

My bet is one or both the registrar and the school nurse were new to the job and had never seen a vax exemption before, and didn't know quite what to do. Happens all the time. The front office worker who accepts the paperwork knows to look for certain things that "have to be there" and when it's out of the ordinary, has to check with the nurse, who has never seen this before, and has to call the health dept. Many schools only have one or two non-vaxing families, if any, so the staff has to go through a couple of school years to learn the ins & outs of exemptions.

I used to say, "call me if there are any problems," and leave. I knew I'd dotted the i's and crossed all the t's so they had no reason to call me. I often would pray for serenity in the face of ignorance and remind myself that these nice people aren't trying to be annoying, just trying to do their job as best they could. They prefer to catch things when the parents are at the office; that's better than dragging Mom or Dad back down when a signature or something was left off.

Annoying, but really not intended to insult you as a parent. Think calmness and serenity. Non-vaxing parents face a lot of this and it's not worth getting anxious every time you register your kid for a school, a camp, summer class, babysitter, or field trip. You know you are obeying the letter of the law.

[CrystalCloud]

I think it has more to do with the fact that these documents can be fake and they wanted to make sure they were not liable on their end. Completely understandable.

I can bet you were extremely irritated but it's good that you kept your cool.

[DayDreamer]

I live in Texas and I don't "let" them push me around. I wouldn't have stood there waiting while everyone else came and went. I probably would have threw more of a fuss along the lines of IS THERE A PROBLEM and WHAT IS IT?!

I was irritated this year when I was changing my kids schools and I had to get the ORIGINAL affidavit from the school I was withdrawing them from to take to the new school. The school had LOST it. HOW do you LOSE something that is so damn important you can't get into the school without it?

[Emmeline II]

Originally Posted by emma1325

for kindergarten recently (public school here in Texas).

This is how it went down:

The secretary looked confused and asked what the exemption form was. I told her it was her vaccine exemption. She stood up and carried the form to the school nurse. They spoke quietly in the other room for a few minutes. I started tapping my foot. lol

That is how it happened with me (Texas also) but it only took 1 or 2 min of the nurse trying to convince the intake person that it was OK. It is a good idea to take a copy of the law with you. I registered ds at a different school this year and came prepared with a copy of the law, but they did not question me at all.

To a pp: In Texas our forms come to us from the Health Dept to be notarized; they are colored, on heavy card stock, have a raised seal, serial number, and are VERY official looking.

[Emmeline II]

Originally Posted by CrystalCloud

I think it has more to do with the fact that these documents can be fake and they wanted to make sure they were not liable on their end. Completely understandable.

I can bet you were extremely irritated but it's good that you kept your cool.

It is not understandable at all. Who is concerned about parents faking exemptions? Where is this a problem?

They are not hard to get: write to the health dept, receive exemption, get form notarized. In many states all it takes is a parent statement.

It is more likely ignorance of vaccination law and exemptions, and incredulity that a child could attend school without mandatory exemptions.

[Tracy]

to OP I would have been pissed.

But I would rather be pissed with someone lame in an office than vax my child.

you did good.

[an_aurora]

Wow, annoying. I, too, registered my kindergartener today. I handed them the notarized exemption and her birth cert, and she copied them and didn't say I word. I even asked if she needed the original and she said "oh, no, the copy is fine. We see those all the time".

[MomofMusa]

Originally Posted by emma1325

for kindergarten recently (public school here in Texas).

This is how it went down:

I walked up to the counter and turned in all my forms; the completed application, her birth certificate, social security card, and legal notarized vaccine exemption.

The secretary looked confused and asked what the exemption form was. I told her it was her vaccine exemption. She stood up and carried the form to the school nurse. They spoke quietly in the other room for a few minutes. I started tapping my foot. lol

The secretary came out and said:

Ok, it'll just be a few minutes.




20 minutes later, after I saw 10 or 15 other parents come and go registering their child quickly with no problems or waiting, the nurse emerged from her office with the exemption. She handed it to the secretary and said "ok." I looked at the school nurse and asked her, "Don't you see many vaccine exemptions here?" and she replied, "Oh, I've seen them, I just had to check with the health department on it."

???

I didn't respond, but I was kind of irritated. None of the other moms had to stand there waiting...they just handed in their stuff, the secretary glanced at it all, and they left. I was the only one who was made to stand there waiting like an idiot...like a person who's trying to get something over on somebody.

I took the proper legal steps to obtain my children's exemptions. I don't think I should have been made to wait for the nurse to "check" on my exemption to make sure it was valid...it was sealed, signed and notarized.



Am I over-reacting?

Even though my son is going to be 1 year away from pre school. I am encouraged by your post... I live in Minnesota, have my blank forms ready to fill in when the time comes near.

[lovebug]

i think you did great mama! man, i hope i dont have to deal with this kind of thing when i have kiddos. its bad enough we live in a REALLY strong pro vax area anyway. dealing with DOCs is bad enough, but schools too... good gosh!

[ammiga]

Originally Posted by MomofMusa

Even though my son is going to be 1 year away from pre school. I am encouraged by your post... I live in Minnesota, have my blank forms ready to fill in when the time comes near.

It's super easy in MN! Just turn in the notarized exemption form. They see them all the time. I don't know of anyone that's had an issue here, even at private schools.

[dknees]

Originally Posted by ammiga

It's super easy in MN! Just turn in the notarized exemption form. They see them all the time. I don't know of anyone that's had an issue here, even at private schools.

Yep, MN is very easy - it's great!

[emma1325]

Originally Posted by an_aurora

Wow, annoying. I, too, registered my kindergartener today. I handed them the notarized exemption and her birth cert, and she copied them and didn't say I word. I even asked if she needed the original and she said "oh, no, the copy is fine. We see those all the time".

Oh...the lady was confused on which copy to keep. I told her that the form stated that the school should have the official form on record. And she said "Ok, ok." And gave me the copy.

I wish they would be more informed on this stuff. The law allows for exemptions, the school should be prepared to accept them.

Also, while I was standing there, I heard the secretary repeat over and over again what was needed:

birth certificate
social security card
proof of residence
proof of immunization

*no mention of exemptions. This really bothered me. I left that office a little angry.

[Bethla]

Hmmm...in CA we do not have to provide social security #

[CrystalCloud]

Originally Posted by Emmeline II

It is not understandable at all. Who is concerned about parents faking exemptions? Where is this a problem?

They are not hard to get: write to the health dept, receive exemption, get form notarized. In many states all it takes is a parent statement.

It is more likely ignorance of vaccination law and exemptions, and incredulity that a child could attend school without mandatory exemptions.

I've worked in the legal business, and there are fake notaries all the time but I don't doubt that they just didn't know.

[cheryllynn]

I wouldn't have let that bother me at all. I would be hugely grateful you live in a state that allows exemptions. I'd drop it.

[JessicaS]

It wouldn't bother me one bit. It was just a small delay.

[Romana]

I would not have been annoyed. I think anytime you're doing something differently from the essentially everyone else, it takes longer. People have to double check, make sure it's right, etc. When it's not what you see on a daily basis, it just takes a little longer.

I actually think it's really nice they didn't give you any hassle, lecturing, etc.

[Parker'smommy]

I'm in California where the exemption is as easy as flipping the big blue Immunization card over and signing the opt out waiver, so maybe *I* would be annoyed. I don't proof of ANYTHING. My choice. But then, depending on where I lived or lived before, maybe I would just be happy that I can opt out, kwim?