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Keeping Your Child Home from School

The effect on a family with a sick child is enormous – home, work, and school lives are all impacted and often at the least convenient times! Sickness is a normal part of childhood and students need to stay home if they are presenting with any signs of illness. 

Certain conditions require exclusion from school to prohibit the spread of viral and bacterial diseases. This is to protect both the uninfected population and the infected person. The school nurse will use his/her professional judgment when assessing the person and judging whether to exclude. 

Please do not send your child to school just long enough to take a test or attend a specific class if they are sick. This will unnecessarily expose other students and staff to illness. In addition, the student will likely not perform optimally in the class or on the test. Arrangements can usually be made to make up the test at a later date.

Students/staff with the following symptoms should be excluded until symptom-free or a licensed care professional submits a letter of non-contagious status:

  • Fever of 99.9 degrees F or more
  • Persistent coughing or difficulty breathing 
  • Abnormal, discolored nasal drainage
  • Any unidentified and/or widespread rash or weeping lesions
  • Persistent pain (headache, ear, stomach, throat, etc.)
  • Any untreated or suspected cases of conjunctivitis/pink eye with colored discharge
  • Communicable diseases or conditions, which include: Influenza, COVID-19, chicken pox, untreated impetigo, or scabies
  • Any communicable disease where the Department of Public Health recommends or requires isolation or quarantine
  • Vomiting
  • Diarrhea

Children with a Fever

Students with a fever of 99.9 degrees F or more may return to school once the student has been fever-free for 24 hours without using over-the-counter medication AND any other symptoms are significantly improved AND the student is feeling well enough to participate in any and all activities that are part of a normal school day.

Children with Seasonal Allergies

Children with seasonal allergies may present with the same symptoms as an acute illness. They need to stay home until allergy symptoms are under control per their healthcare provider’s direction or the doctor has cleared the student to come to school with a doctor’s note and an alternative diagnosis.

Other Health Issues

A rash can resolve spontaneously and is not a reason alone to keep a child home from school. Any rash associated with symptoms such as trouble breathing or swallowing, fever, or ill appearance, should be evaluated by your physician. Rashes that are itchy or scaly may be contagious and should be evaluated before sending a child back to school.

A child with eye symptoms that include redness, swelling, tearing, itching or burning, mild sensitivity to light, drainage, or overnight crusting may have conjunctivitis (pink eye) and will need to be evaluated by a healthcare provider. If the child is diagnosed with conjunctivitis, he or she will need to stay out of school for 24 hours from the initial dose of the antibiotic.

A student experiencing GI symptoms such as diarrhea or vomiting should be symptom-free and able to eat and tolerate a normal meal before returning to school.

Children with lice do not need to be excluded from school but will need to receive treatment before coming back to school. Please see the lice guidelines here.

Sending Sick/Hurt Students Home from School

If a child presents to the nurse with any symptoms of illness, parents will be called, and the student will be sent home.

Please make plans at the beginning of the year for when you have a sick child. Set up a system you can activate if your child is ill and needs to stay home. Also, set up a plan for when your child becomes ill at school and needs to be dismissed early.

Please remember your school nurses are always available to answer any questions you might have on whether or not it is appropriate to send your child to school. Do keep in mind, however, that the school nurse, by law, cannot diagnose or treat any illnesses or injuries and will refer you to your primary care physician.