When to Keep Your Child Home from School
If your child is sick, it is best to keep them home from school. A sick child won't be able to perform well in school, and they may spread their illness to other students and staff. If you are concerned about sending your child to school, please contact your healthcare provider for guidance. You can also review the symptoms list provided below for further support. If your child becomes ill at school and shows any of the following symptoms, the staff or school nurse may determine that your child is too sick to stay or poses a risk of spreading illness. In these cases, we will contact you to arrange for their pickup. Our school policy follows the Contagious Diseases Guidelines, which states you should not send your child to school if they have:
- Vomiting in the past 24 hours
- Diarrhea in the past 24 hours
- Persistent abdominal pain, see a health care provider
- Intermittent abdominal pain with fever/ dehydration or other symptoms of illness, see a healthcare provider
- Chills, unexplained body aches, and feeling excessively tired
- Sore throat with symptoms or Strep throat: see a healthcare provider for directions
- Rash, unidentified, see a health care provider for direction
- Ringworm, Impetigo, weeping, or unidentified sores: Students must see their provider and be on an antibiotic for at least 24 hours before returning to school.
- Bad cold (upper respiratory infection) with a very runny nose or bad cough
- Uncontrolled coughing, See a healthcare provider
- Eye infection (pink eye/ conjunctivitis) : see healthcare provider and start antibiotic for at least 24 hours before returning to school.
- Fever (>100.4) in past 24 hours
- Fever (>99 ) with symptoms in past 24 hours
- Any signs suggesting a severe illness
\ Students should return back to school when:
- Free from vomiting and diarrhea for 24 hours after last episode
- Free from abdominal pain
- Strep throat may return 24 hours after the first dose of the antibiotic
- Fever-free: child has not had a fever (and is not using fever-reducing medicine) for at least 24 hours.
- Cough is mild and infrequent
- Free from rash, itching, or fever and has been evaluated by a healthcare provider
- Impetigo, ringworm or skin sores are crusting and improving and the child is receiving treatment from a healthcare provider. The sores must be covered.
- After the first head lice treatment, with NO LIVE lice remaining
- Scabies, after treatment and under a health care provider's guidance
- 24 hours after starting antibiotic eye drops or ointment (eye infections) and under a health care provider's guidance.
- Respiratory virus: symptoms are improving for at least 24 hours. Students and staff returning after a respiratory infection can consider additional actions (masks, distancing, handwashing, testing) to reduce spread.
- Flu, COVID symptoms are improving, and there has been no fever for at least 24 hours.
- Signs of severe/ contagious illness have gone away or have been treated by a doctor.
- When any/ all criteria have been resolved, or a doctor clears them.
Thank you for your cooperation in maintaining a healthy school environment.