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 their 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 is unlikely to perform optimally in class or on the test. Arrangements can usually be made to take 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 for which the Department of Public Health recommends or requires isolation or quarantine
Vomiting
Diarrhea
Rash of unknown cause

If these symptoms are present, per Board policy EBB (Communicable Disease), the student will be excluded from school and should not return until they are symptom-free for a 24-hour period without fever-reducing medications.

By working together and following these guidelines, we can maintain our school as a healthy learning environment for all students and staff.

Children with a Fever

Children with Seasonal Allergies

Other Health Issues

Eye Symptoms

A child with eye symptoms such as redness, swelling, tearing, itching or burning, mild sensitivity to light, drainage, or overnight crusting may have conjunctivitis (pink eye) and should 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.

GI Symptoms

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

Lice

Children with lice do not need to be excluded from school, but they will need to receive treatment before returning to school. Please see the lice guidelines.

Rash

A rash can resolve spontaneously and is not, in itself, a reason 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. Itchy or scaly rashes may be contagious and should be evaluated before sending a child back to school

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, plan for when your child becomes ill at school and needs to be dismissed early.

Please remember that your school nurses are always available to answer any questions you might have about whether 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.

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