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Too Sick for School?

Guidelines to help parents and school districts determine when to keep children/students home from school.

The recommendations are based on guidelines provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and state public health professionals. They were developed to help prevent the spread of potentially contagious disease. Home is the best place for a child who is ill. If your child is sick with a diagnosed communicable disease, please notify the school as soon as possible. This notification will greatly assist others who, due to medical reasons and/or treatments, have weakened immune systems and may require immediate and specialized care.

Too Sick for School (PDF)

 

Outline of a digital thermometer on an orange circle background, symbolizing fever or temperature check.
FEVER

With fever greater than 100.4º F*. Student may return when fever-free for 24 hours (WITHOUT use of fever reducing medicine)

Outline of a toilet on a blue circle background, symbolizing vomiting and diarrhea
VOMITING/DIARRHEA

Any unexplained vomiting episode. May return 24 hours after last episode. Diarrhea = three or more unexplained episodes of watery or loose stool in 24 hours OR sudden onset of loose stools. May return 24 hours after last episode.

Outline of a face with "germs" text emitting from the mouth on a yellow circle background, symbolizing germ spread or coughing.
COUGH

Serious, sustained coughing, shortness of breath, or difficulty breathing

Outline of a child with spots on their face and body on a teal circle background, symbolizing rash or skin irritation.
RASH

Any new rash accompanied by a fever. May return after rash goes away or clearance given by a health care provider

Outline of an arm with skin lesions on a purple circle background, symbolizing skin infection or lesions.
SKIN LESIONS/SORES

Drainage from a sore that cannot be contained within a bandage OR sores are increasing in size OR new sores are developing day-to-day

Outline of an ambulance with flashing light on a red circle background, symbolizing emergency or medical assistance.
OTHER

Symptoms that prevent the student from active participation in usual school activities OR student is requiring more care than school can safely provide.