Most students with mild illnesses can safely attend school. However, a student may be too sick to attend if (partial list- contact school nurse for further information):
- The student does not feel well enough to participate comfortably in the program's activities
- The staff cannot adequately care for the sick student without compromising the care of the other students.
- The student has any of the following symptoms, until a health care provider determines that the student is well enough to attend and that the illness is not contagious:
Fever (above 99° F. axillary or above 100° F. orally) without the use of fever reducing medication accompanied by behavioral changes and other signs or symptoms of illness (e.g., the student looks and acts sick)
Signs or symptoms of possibly severe illness (e.g., persistent crying, extreme irritability, uncontrolled coughing, difficulty breathing, wheezing, lethargy)
Diarrhea- Changes from the student's usual stool pattern-increased frequency of stools, looser or watery stools, stools that run out of the diaper, or inability of the student to get to the bathroom in time
Vomiting more than once in the previous 24 hours
Mouth sores with drooling
Rash with a fever or behavioral change
- The student has received any of the following diagnoses (partial list-contact school nurse for further information) from a health care provider, until treated and/or no longer contagious (medical release to return to school is required for some diagnoses):
Infectious conjunctivitis (pinkeye) (with eye discharge)- until 24 hours after treatment started and improvement is noted
Scabies, head lice, or other infestation- until 24 hours after treatment or in the case of head lice the student is free of nits
Impetigo- until 24-48 hours after effective treatment started and improvement is noted; no fever
Strep throat, scarlet fever, or other strep infection- until 24 hours after treatment started (48 hours if the student cannot control oral secretions) and improvement is noted and the student is free of fever for 24 hours
Pertussis- until 5-7 days after effective treatment started
Tuberculosis (TB)- until a health care provider determines that the disease is not contagious
Chicken Pox- usually about 6 days after start of rash, until all sores have crusted over
Hepatitis A- until 7 days after start of symptoms and until jaundice (if present) has disappeared and student is able to participate in school program
Measles- until 5 days after start of rash
Rubella (German measles)- until 7 days after start of rash and no symptoms
Oral herpes (if student is drooling or lesions cannot be covered)- until lesions are dry and crusted