Bill would protect classroom recovery for hundreds of concussed Kansas student athletes

Student athletes in Kansas are already afforded protection as they recover from concussions, but a potential state Senate bill would extend those protections to the classroom and require school districts to create concussion management teams.

SB 82 would build on the School Sports Head Injury Prevention Act, a law enacted by the Kansas Legislature in 2011 requiring student athletes who are suspected of suffering a concussion to be removed from their activity and receive written clearance from a physician before returning.

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The new bill further require schools to establish policies and concussion management teams to prevent and manage head injuries, which can have weeks- or monthslong effects, at school or on the field.

Each district’s concussion management team — made up of athletic directors, teachers, athletic trainers and counselors, among other relevant staff — would be required to create both return-to-play and return-to-learn protocols to help students safely and responsibly resume participation in activities and in the classroom.

SB 82 finds widespread support among Kansas medical professionals for concussion management

The bill received support from medical worker and public school advocates, who said the measure would help create greater consistency in concussion management and treatment protocols across all Kansas school districts.

Mark Padfield, a teacher and athletic trainer at Tonganoxie High School, told the Senate Education Committee that he’s been fortunate to work at a district that has already established extensive return-to-play and return-to-learn protocols.

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But not all Kansas schools have the resources or experience with head injury protocols to afford their students that level of protection, he said.

“This is designed to be a no-cost, educational piece to help protect our student athletes in the classroom, and make sure that academically, they’re protected as well as athletically,” he told the committee.

About 2% of Kansas student athletes suffer concussions in a given school year

During the 2018-2019 school year, the last full year before COVID-19 tampered participation, Kansas State High School Activities Association member schools reported more than 2,100 concussions among 112,116 participants in activities, for a 1.9% incidence rate. That figure, though, does not include the many other concussions students might receive in non-activity related accidents, falls or crashes.

Rich Bomgardner, a practicing athletic trainer and program director of the subject at Wichita State University, said new research in the 12 years since the Legislature’s School Sports Head Injury Prevention Act has shown that schools need to think about students’ recovery on both the field and he classroom.

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By passing the bill, the Kansas Legislature could help provide a basic framework and direction to resources for schools to protect concussed students.

“The return-to-learn piece is very critical for students as they move forward with their education,” he said. “The last thing we want to see is a student continue to struggle academically in the learning environment if we don’t have proper supports and safeguards for that student in the school system to make sure they’re back on track on their learning cycles.”

Rafael Garcia is an education reporter for the Topeka Capital-Journal. He can be reached at rgarcia@cjonline.com or by phone at ‪785-289-5325. Follow him on Twitter at @byRafaelGarcia.

This article originally appeared on Topeka Capital-Journal: Kansas schools should consider concussions' academic effects, bill suggests