Perry Central reminds families to update immunizations before school starts

Perry Central Community Schools is reminding families that students must have all required immunizations in place before attending school, and the district is pointing parents to local health offices now, before the first day bell rings. For Medicaid families, and for children who are uninsured or underinsured, the district’s health-services page directs families to the Perry County Health Department for clinic information.

Indiana requires school immunizations through the Indiana Department of Health, and the state’s 2025-26 chart, updated Nov. 12, 2024, lists different requirements for pre-K, kindergarten through fifth grade and older students. Vaccine doses marked as invalid in the CHIRP system with a red X do not count toward school entry unless there is proof of immunity or a valid replacement dose.

The district’s 2025-2026 immunization notice asks families to begin making arrangements at their earliest convenience, a message that carries more weight as orientation, back-to-school night and other fall activities already appear on the homepage calendar. The county health department, based in Tell City, lists weekday office hours, giving families a nearby place to handle paperwork, record checks and clinic questions before school starts. Perry Central’s past immunization notice also referenced a shot clinic at Perry County Hospital for students with insurance.

The reminder sits alongside the district’s broader school profile, which highlights that 96% of students have early reading skills in place by the end of third grade and points to pathways in engineering, nursing, education professions, agriculture science, construction technology, diesel technology, business and advanced manufacturing. Perry Central says 38% of the Class of 2022 completed the first year of college during high school through its Early College High School model, saving about $300,000 in tuition costs.