Illinois School District Stocks Asthma Medications to Keep Kids in Class

Photo: Christina Edwards

The ability to breathe shouldn’t stand in the way of a child’s education. Thanks to the RESCUE Illinois Schools initiative, schools like those in Plainfield Community Consolidated District 202 are better equipped than ever to protect students living with asthma.

Through this program, schools can access emergency asthma medication (commonly known as stock albuterol), the devices needed to administer it, and training for school health staff. While legislation permitting stock albuterol has existed for years, until recently, there was no funding or infrastructure to put it into practice. Now in its second year, the program is already showing life-changing results.

Since December 2023, Plainfield District 202—home to 31 schools and 25,000 students—has administered 287 doses of albuterol on-site through this initiative. Those numbers tell a powerful story:

• 74 students who may have needed an ambulance were stabilized at school.
• Only nine students required emergency transport.
• 235 individuals (students and staff) were able to return to learning and daily activities right away.

This means fewer missed school days, less classroom disruption, and more time where it matters most — engaged in learning, not waiting in an emergency room.

“Our schools are community based; we are here for our children,” said Christina Edwards, Director of Health Services for District 202. “Keeping students in the educational environment is our ultimate goal.”

Plainfield is a diverse district, and families face many different challenges in accessing healthcare. For some, knowing that school nurses have life-saving medication on hand brings peace of mind. Parents who once hesitated to send their child to school now feel reassured, confident that their child will be cared for immediately if an asthma episode occurs.

Every response begins with care. Nurses first greet the child, reassure them, and give them space to describe how they’re feeling. If needed, staff follow RESCUE Illinois protocols, delivering medication quickly to restore breathing and get students safely back into class.

The results speak for themselves: fewer ambulance calls, reduced stress for families, and most importantly—children staying where they belong, in school with their peers.

Thanks to the partnership between RHA, AAIR, the State of Illinois, and District 202 schools, thousands of students now have a stronger safety net. With every inhaler provided and every student stabilized, the program reaffirms a simple truth: when schools and communities come together, children can breathe easier and learn better.