Student Illness/injury

The following guidelines are designed to assist parents in caring for a child with common symptoms until they can be seen by a healthcare professional.

When should a child remain home from school?

When a child has fever of 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit, severe, persistent coughing, eye drainage, significant sore throat, excessive nasal discharge, undiagnosed skin rash, nausea and vomiting, diarrhea, extreme fatigue, moderate to severe headache, body aches, and/or a general sense of being unwell. These represent symptoms or signs of illness and the child should be kept home from school. If a student is at school and not feeling well enough to stay, the Health Office Personnel will notify the parent/guardian who will be expected to take the child out of school for at least that day. Sick children need to go home as soon as possible. If the situation becomes urgent in nature, emergency contacts will be notified. It is the parent/guardian responsibility to ensure that their emergency contact list is updated appropriately.

Note: A student with a fever cannot return to school until fever-free for 24 hours without the use of medication. Students with vomiting and/or diarrhea may not return to school until they are 24 hours free of vomiting or diarrhea without the use of medication.

Communicable Disease

Parents/guardians are required to report any incidence of communicable disease to the Health Office Personnel at the local school, such as strep throat, influenza, Covid-19, conjunctivitis, hand, foot and mouth disease, and Fifth’s Disease. Exclusion from school will depend on local health department criteria and a healthcare providers’ determination that the student is no longer infectious and recovered from illness. Certain communicable diseases are reportable to the local health department and must be reported to your school health office immediately Reportable Diseases.

Students with chronic communicable disease have all rights, privileges and services provided by law and Board policies and the district’s obligation to safeguard these rights while managing health and safety for all district students. A student known to have a chronic communicable disease will be evaluated to determine whether there is a high risk of spreading the disease. The school team works with local, regional, or State health officials, the family physician, the student, the student’s teacher, and the student's parent/guardian to establish the most appropriate educational program.

Physical Education Excuse/Waiver

An excuse from physical education classes must be in writing and accompanied by a written recommendation from the child's physician. Students with, but not limited to casts, splints, walking boot(s), crutches or wheelchairs, may not participate in physical education, recess, or school-sponsored sports/physical activities until written clearance is provided by the healthcare provider. If a student requires use of the elevator, they must provide a medical note from their healthcare provider to the school health office personnel that includes the length of time the student will require this accommodation. Students prescribed the use of crutches must demonstrate proper usage and behaviors associated with the assistive device.