Type 1 diabetes at school in Maryland
What Maryland law and the state’s own guidance say about insulin, glucagon, supplies and phones at school, with each source quoted. Checked 2026-10-06.
| Insulin by trained staff | With limits |
| Glucagon by trained staff | Yes |
| Self-carry | With limits |
| State plan or guidelines | Yes |
| Phone for the CGM | Yes |
Can trained school staff give insulin?
With limits
State guidelines under Md. Code, Educ. § 7-426.4 say unlicensed school staff may be trained to give insulin, but the school nurse decides case by case whether to train them. (health.maryland.gov (PDF); mgaleg.maryland.gov)
The American Diabetes Association’s Maryland page reads this differently: ADA answers yes; it quotes the same guideline, including that the school nurse decides whether to train staff.
Can trained school staff give glucagon?
Yes
The state guidelines must cover instruction by the school nurse for teachers, coaches, transportation staff and other school personnel on giving glucagon in an emergency (Md. Code, Educ. § 7-426.4(b)(4)). (mgaleg.maryland.gov; health.maryland.gov (PDF))
Can a student carry supplies and manage diabetes at school?
With limits
The guidelines set procedures for students whom the school nurse determines are capable of self-management (Md. Code, Educ. § 7-426.4(b)(6)). The school nurse decides whether a student may self-administer medication or check blood glucose in the classroom. (mgaleg.maryland.gov; health.maryland.gov (PDF))
The American Diabetes Association’s Maryland page reads this differently: ADA answers yes, though it also notes the school nurse assessment.
Does the state publish a diabetes care plan form or guidelines?
Yes
The Maryland State School Health Services Guideline: Management of Diabetes in Schools (May 2017, DMMP revised September 2020) includes the Maryland Diabetes Medical Management Plan, the state health care provider order form. (health.maryland.gov (PDF))
Can a student keep a phone for the CGM in class?
Yes
The state guideline has a CGM section: the CGM monitor may be a smartphone the student carries, school nurses are not responsible for continuous receipt of CGM data, and the nurse addresses cell phone use with the family and provider case by case. (health.maryland.gov (PDF))
Also in Maryland
A person trained under the state guidelines who gives diabetes care in good faith, in a reasonably prudent manner and without pay is not civilly liable for acts or omissions in that care (Md. Code, Educ. § 7-426.4(d)). (mgaleg.maryland.gov)
Federal law applies in every state
Section 504 and the Americans with Disabilities Act can cover a student with diabetes at a public school in every state, whatever the state law says; a 504 plan is where the student’s care at school is written down. The federal rules, with sources.
Sources, quoted
- health.maryland.gov (PDF): “Unlicensed school staff may be trained to administer insulin or support self-management of other diabetes care tasks (e.g., blood glucose monitoring, insulin administration).”
- health.maryland.gov (PDF): “The school nurse determines if it is appropriate to train unlicensed school staff to provide diabetes care.”
- mgaleg.maryland.gov: “(iii) Ensuring that appropriate school personnel are available to administer insulin during the school day and during other school-sponsored events and activities;”
- mgaleg.maryland.gov: “2. Administering glucagon in an emergency in accordance with health care provider orders; and”
- health.maryland.gov (PDF): “Availability of trained designated unlicensed school staff to administer fast-acting glucose and/or glucagon when a nurse is not available.”
- mgaleg.maryland.gov: “(6) Establishing procedures for students who have been determined by the school nurse to be capable of and responsible for self-management of their diabetes in accordance with health care provider orders; and”
- health.maryland.gov (PDF): “This determination is made based on the nursing assessment of each student, and with input from the authorized prescriber and the parent/guardian.”
- health.maryland.gov (PDF): “Diabetes Medical Management Plan (DMMP): The Maryland health care provider order form that contains the instructions and medication orders provided by a student's health care provider and indicates the health care services and medications needed by a student to treat the student's diabetes at school.”
- health.maryland.gov (PDF): “The monitor may be part of the insulin pump or a separate device, which may include a smartphone that is carried or worn by the student in a pocket, backpack, or purse.”
- health.maryland.gov (PDF): “School nurses are not responsible for the continuous receipt of CGM results throughout the school day.”
- health.maryland.gov (PDF): “Due to confidentiality concerns, school nurses should not maintain communication with a CGM through their personal cell phones.”
- mgaleg.maryland.gov: “(d) (1) An individual who has received instruction to provide diabetes care services to students in accordance with the guidelines adopted under this section is not civilly liable for any act or omission in the course of providing diabetes care services to a student if:”
- mgaleg.maryland.gov: “(iii) The diabetes care services are provided to the student without fee or other compensation.”
- mgaleg.maryland.gov: “(ii) The diabetes care services are provided in a reasonably prudent manner; and”
Legal information, not legal advice. Laws change; the source page is the authority when it differs, and this page is rechecked each July. For help with a school, the American Diabetes Association’s legal advocates answer at 1-800-DIABETES (1-800-342-2383).