When Should Your Child Stay Home from School?

Many parents are concerned about when to keep children who have been ill home from school. These guidelines will help you. Any time you have questions, do not hesitate to call the school nurse.

1. FEVER: Children should stay home if they have a fever of 100 degrees (orally, temporal artery or tympanic route) or more. Your child needs to be FEVER FREE for 24 hours before returning to school. Your child is NOT considered to be fever free if you are still giving medication to keep fever down (i.e.: Acetaminophen, Ibuprofen). Remember that aspirin is NOT recommended for children.

2. COVID-19: Those who are experiencing COVID-19 symptoms, or who have received a positive COVID-19 test, should monitor symptoms and return to school when fever free for 24 hours (without the use of fever-reducing medication).

3. VOMITING OR DIARRHEA: Your child should stay home if he/she has vomited or has diarrhea (more than one loose stool) within 12 hours prior to the start of school. If your child becomes sick at school, they need to have 24 hours with no vomiting or diarrhea before they can return to school.

4. PINKEYE: Conjunctivitis is very contagious. If the white of your child's eye is red and has any type of drainage you should keep your child at home. Contact your child's doctor. Eyes need to be CLEAR before your child can come back to school. Please notify your teacher and school nurse if you are treating your child's eyes for allergies.

5. HEAD LICE: Children with lice should be treated with a lice killing product and nits (eggs) should be combed out of the hair. Nits will need to be combed out daily, according to treatment directions, or they will hatch and the cycle continues. Please contact the school nurse if you discover lice or nits on your child.

6. CHICKEN POX: Students cannot return to school until blisters have scabbed over and are dry. This will take 7 to 10 days from the onset of the disease. You can get a mild case even if you have had the immunization. Many pediatricians are recommending two immunizations.

7. IMPETIGO: Impetigo is sores that have become infected. Impetigo can be found anywhere on the body including the face. The sores become crusty and can drain infected material. Contact your doctor. The infection needs to be treated or it will worsen and can spread on your child and to others. Once treatment has started, your child may return to school. Sores need to be covered while in school.

8. STREP THROAT: If your child has been diagnosed as having a strep throat (this requires a test by a health care provider) your child should stay home 24 hours after antibiotic therapy has been started (either by mouth or injection). He/she must be fever free for 24 hours without medications like Acetaminophen or Ibuprofen.

REMEMBER: We appreciate your help in preventing the spread of disease in school. When children come to school sick, they infect other children, parents, and teachers.