Student Illness/injury

District 65 remains committed to maintaining a healthy and safe school environment for our students, staff, and families. We are fortunate to have a strong collaborative partnership with local pediatricians and the Evanston and Skokie Health Departments. These partnerships have supported us in refining our COVID-19 health and safety protocols.

As always, we will continue to monitor the public health situation, remain up-to-date on CDC/IDPH guidance, and consult with our medical advisors to make necessary adjustments throughout the school year. Please note that all guidance is subject to change at any point and updates will be provided as needed.

When should a child remain home from school?

Please remember that staying home when sick can lower the risk of spreading infectious diseases to other people, including the virus that causes COVID-19. We trust our families to partner with us in keeping our schools safe, which means keeping their children home when sick and/or displaying COVID-19 symptoms.

Individuals with symptoms of infectious diseases, including COVID-19, influenza, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), and gastrointestinal infections should stay home and get tested for COVID-19. A person with symptoms who tests negative for COVID-19 should consider getting tested for other respiratory illnesses that could spread to others. 

If a student is at school and not feeling well enough to stay, the Health Office Personnel will notify the parent/guardian to pick up their child. 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's responsibility to ensure that their emergency contact list is kept up-to-date.

When can a student return to school after testing positive for COVID-19? Individuals who test positive for COVID are required to quarantine for five days (from the date of the positive test or onset of symptoms), and can return days 6-10 with a mask as long as they are fever free for 24 hours without fever-reducing medications and have had no vomiting and/or diarrhea for a full 24 hours without medications.

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.

See additional guidance on:
What to do if you were exposed to COVID-19
Isolation and Precautions for COVID-19