Summer is in high gear but the Iowa Department of Health is already asking parents to begin their back-to-school planning.

With only a month left on their summer vacation, twins Stephanie and Kristen Smith want to make the most of the last few weeks but their mother, Kim Smith, is ready for school to start.

"They're ready," Kim says. "They've had all their shots and are up to the dental work."

Smith is ahead of the curve. Iowa requires dental exams for freshmen as well as lead screenings and dental exams for incoming kindergartners.

Kim's twins are headed to first grade but have already been tested.

Kim says, "They should be tested I think by the time they're six or seven-years-old. I think all mothers should have it done -- tested for lead, and take them to the dentist regular."

While Kim's twins are ready to start school, school officials in Council Bluffs know that not every student will be prepared. That's why they want to get the word out now about the lead and dental test requirements.

Iowa officials see it as an integral part of the learning process. They want to screen for impediments to the learning process before those impediments become stumbling blocks in the classroom.

Diane Ostrowski, with Council Bluffs Schools says they want to, "make sure that students are as healthy as they can be -- they're protected from disease. And these screenings help protect them from getting health issues down the road that could impact their ability to learn."