Illness and Disease

In the school environment many communicable diseases are easily transmitted from one student to another. A healthy environment involves prevention, early recognition of illness, symptoms, prompt diagnosis and treatment. Children who are not feeling well have a difficult time concentrating and therefore do not benefit from the instruction they receive during that time. Home is the best place for a child who is ill. Please do not send an ill child to school.

We need your assistance in providing a safe and healthy environment for your child. If your child is sick with a diagnosed communicable disease, please notify the school as soon as possible. This notification will greatly assist others who, due to medical reasons and/or treatments, have weakened immune systems and may require immediate and specialized care.

Below are some guidelines to help you make the decision of whether or not to keep your child home from school

Fever: If your child has a fever of 100° F or higher keep them at home until his or her fever is below 100 for 24 hours without the use of fever reducing medication. If the fever does not go away after 2-3 days or is 102.0 or higher, you should consult a healthcare provider. Please note, if your child develops a fever at school, the district nurses will not give your child fever-reducing medications so they can remain in school.

Diarrhea: Frequent, loose or watery stool may mean illness but can also be caused by food and medication. If, in addition to diarrhea, your child acts ill, has a fever or is vomiting, keep him or her at home. If stool is bloody, if the child has abdominal pain, fever or vomiting, you should consult a healthcare provider. Make sure your sick child stays well-hydrated.

Vomiting: If your child has vomited 2 or more times in a 24 hour period, keep your child at home until the vomiting has stopped for 24 hours. If vomiting continues, or is accompanied by fever, contact a healthcare provider. Again, remember hydration is very important

Severe Cough: If your child has severe, uncontrolled, rapid coughing, wheezing, or difficulty breathing, keep your child home and contact a healthcare provider. If symptoms are due to asthma or allergies, provide treatment according to your child’s Asthma or Allergy Action Plan and when symptoms are controlled send your child to school.

Rash with Fever: Rashes can be the sign of contagious conditions such as chickenpox, bacterial meningitis, scabies, or impetigo. Children should be kept home until they're diagnosed. They can return to school after symptoms are gone and their doctor gives the okay. If a rash spreads quickly, is not healing, has open weeping wounds, or is accompanied by fever, you should keep your child at home and have him or her seen by a health care provider.

Ringworm (a contagious skin fungus infection): Keep home until treatment is started. If it is in an exposed area, upon return, cover visible area with dressing and/or clothing. Ringworm on the scalp requires an oral medication, but child may return to school if covered with appropriate cream or covered.

Strep Throat: Keep your child at home for the first 24 hours after an antibiotic is begun.

Conjunctivitis (Pinkeye): A child with bacterial conjunctivitis is highly contagious and should be kept home until he has been on prescription eye drops or ointment for 24 hours. If your child wakes up and the whites of his eyes are red, there is pus discharge, and/or the eyelashes are matted shut, call your healthcare provider and do not send your child to school.

Vaccine Preventable Diseases: Keep your child at home until a health care provider has determined that your child is not contagious.

• Varicella (Chicken Pox) - fever, headache, stomach ache or sore throat, then a red itchy skin rash develops on the stomach first and then limbs and face.

• Measles & Rubella (German Measles) – swollen glands, rash that starts behind ears then the face and the rest of the body, sore joints, mild fever and cough, red eyes

• Mumps – fever, headache, muscle aches, loss of appetite, swollen tender salivary glands

• Pertussis (Whooping Cough) – many rapid coughs followed by a high-pitched “whoop”, vomiting, very tired

This information is based upon recommended guidelines from reliable sources to include the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), American Academy of Pediatrics, and Public Health Association.

Head Lice Policy

Active head lice infestation is defined as presence of live lice or nits found within one quarter of an inch of the scalp.

If a student is found with active head lice he/she may be excluded from school by the principal or designee; if student is suspected of having head lice he/she shall be allowed to stay in school until the end of the school day.

The parents/guardians shall receive information about the recommended treatment procedures, ways to check the hair and other resources.

The parent/guardian of an excluded student must accompany the child upon returning to school, which can be the next day, if the child received the recommended head lice treatment. The student will have their head checked by school designated personnel to determine active head lice or/"nit" status before returning to class.

The Superintendent or designee shall send home the notification required by law for excluded students.

A letter will be sent home to notify classroom parents/guardians that a case of active head lice is suspected and ask them to check their child for head lice. This letter will include information on the head lice treatment.

The principal and school nurse shall work with the parents/guardians of any students who are considered to have a chronic case of head lice in order to help minimize the student's absences from school.

Staff shall maintain the privacy of students identified as having head lice.