How Texas Schools Report Health Screening Results to the State

Texas school health screening reporting is a required step after every screening event — and as of the 2025-2026 school year, the reporting system has changed. The state has retired its legacy platform and launched a new one, which means schools need to understand the updated process to stay compliant. This guide walks through what you need to report, where to report it, and how VHSA can make the process easier.

The Old System vs. the New System

For years, Texas schools reported their health screening results through the Consolidated Health Reporting System (CHRS). That system has been retired. The Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) has replaced it with a new platform called VHSSARS — the Vision, Hearing, and Spinal Screening Annual Reporting System.

VHSSARS is now the official system for submitting annual screening data to the state. If your school was still using CHRS or was unsure about the transition, the switch is already in effect. The official DSHS resource for vision and hearing screening — including links to the reporting system — is available at dshs.texas.gov/vision-hearing-screening.

What VHSSARS Is and Who Uses It

VHSSARS is a web-based reporting tool maintained by DSHS. It is used by school nurses, health coordinators, and administrators to submit annual screening data for their campus or district. The system collects aggregate data — not individual student records — to help the state track screening compliance and referral rates across Texas.

Access is typically managed through DSHS account registration. If your school has not yet set up an account, you'll need to do so before the reporting deadline. DSHS provides instructions and support for new users on their website.

What Data Needs to Be Reported

Schools are required to report results for all four categories of DSHS-mandated screenings: vision, hearing, acanthosis nigricans, and scoliosis. For each screening type, the state needs to know:

• Total number of students enrolled in each required grade
• Number of students screened
• Number of students who passed
• Number of students who were referred (failed the screening)
• Number of students who were rescreened, if applicable

This data is reported at the campus level. If your district has multiple campuses, each one submits its own data. For a detailed breakdown of which grades require which screenings, see our Texas school health screening requirements guide.

When Reporting Is Due

DSHS sets an annual reporting deadline, typically in the late spring or early summer following the school year in which screenings were conducted. The exact date can shift from year to year, so schools should check the DSHS vision and hearing screening page directly for the current deadline.

It's worth noting that while screenings can happen at any point during the school year, most schools schedule them in the fall to maximize the time available for follow-up referrals. Completing screenings early also gives you more time to compile your data before the reporting window closes.

What Happens If a School Misses the Reporting Deadline

DSHS tracks campus-level compliance. If a school fails to submit its screening data by the deadline, it may be flagged as non-compliant. While DSHS does not impose fines, non-compliance is documented and can trigger follow-up from the state — including outreach to the school, the district, or the school's screening provider.

Repeated failure to report can also put a school on DSHS's radar for audits or additional oversight. Beyond regulatory risk, missing the deadline means your school loses the ability to demonstrate that it screened its students as required by law. This matters for institutional records, liability, and parent trust.

The simplest way to avoid missed deadlines is to build reporting into your screening workflow from the start. When screenings are complete and data is organized immediately after the event, reporting becomes a 15-minute task instead of a scramble at the end of the year.

How VHSA Makes Reporting Easier

When VHSA conducts your school's screenings, we provide all results documentation in a format that's ready for state reporting. You receive organized summaries broken down by screening type, grade level, and pass/refer status — exactly the categories VHSSARS asks for.

Your school's job is simply to log into VHSSARS and enter the numbers we've already compiled. There's no need to sort through individual student records or manually calculate totals. We do that work as part of every screening event.

This also means if DSHS has questions about your screening data, you have a clear paper trail showing exactly what was done, when, and by whom — all backed by certified screeners.