• When should students stay home?

     

    Many acute illnesses may be transmitted from person to person and are a common cause of school absenteeism. If your child is not feeling well and/or has a fever, they need to be kept at home. When your child is not feeling well, they will most likely not be at their best to learn, and they could spread illness to their peers, teachers and other staff.  Students should stay home for the following:

     

    • Diarrhea:  Frequent loose or watery stools compared with normal pattern, abdominal cramps, fever, generally not feeling well.   Exclude until no diarrhea for 24 hours.

     

    • Vomiting:   Nausea, vomiting, or cramping. Exclude until no vomiting for 24 hours or until the individual provides medical documentation that the cause is not infectious.

     

    • Common Cold:  Sore throat, runny nose, coughing, sneezing, headaches, and body aches. Exclude until symptoms subside and exercise droplet precautions.

     

    • Pink Eye (Bacterial or viral conjunctivitis):  Red/pink itchy, swollen eyes; eye discharge; possible light sensitivity; and/or eye pain.  Exclude if the child/student has white or yellow drainage coming from the eye or eye pain and until evaluated by a physician.

     

    • Strep throat (Streptococcal pharyngitis): Fever, red sore throat, swollen glands, strawberry tongue (occurs following peeling of a white coating from tongue): A very fine raised rash (feels like sandpaper) is present on the neck, chest, elbow and groin.  Exclude until 24 hours after beginning appropriate antimicrobial therapy and no longer have a fever.

     

    • Fever: 100 or above, with any accompanying symptoms, must be 24 hours fever-free without the use of fever-reducing medication.

     

    • Undiagnosed Rash: Your child should not attend school until the rash has been diagnosed, treated and verified that the rash is not contagious.

     

    ADPH Communicable Disease Chart