It is often difficult to tell how sick your child is in the morning before school. School is important, but sick children need to be at home. The following considerations can help you decide whether your child should stay home from school.

• Temperature - Though children may not have a fever and still be sick, a temperature of 100 degrees Fahrenheit or above is a sure sign to keep your child home. Giving a fever reducer (Tylenol) and sending your child to school will almost guarantee a call from the school when the medicine wears off, as well as exposing other students to whatever your child has. 

It is important to NEVER give aspirin or aspirin-containing medication to children with a viral infection because of the increased risk of developing Reye Syndrome. The current recommendation is to receive one series of two varicella immunizations, months apart to prevent them from developing chickenpox. 

• If vomiting or diarrhea during the previous evening or night, please keep your child home. Consult a doctor if symptoms continue for more than 48 hours or worsen instead of improving. 

• A blistery rash, especially if accompanied by fever (i.e. chicken pox). Please keep your child home until seen by a physician and cleared by a doctor's note. 

• Heavy nasal congestion and/or frequent cough, please keep your child at home. If presented at school with these symptoms, children probably feel miserable, will not learn much, and will be sharing a virus with others. 

• For contagious disease diagnosis, such as strep, your physician should prescribe an antibiotic. After 24 hours on antibiotics, your child may return to school with a doctor's statement. 

If your child stays home, improves, and does not run a temperature (without medication) for 24 hours, your child can return to school. Be sure that the school has current telephone numbers to reach you at all times, in case your child becomes ill or injured. 

Students whose medical conditions require the use of medical marijuana are allowed to access and utilize marijuana in accordance with state law. School personnel are prohibited from administering medical marijuana to students. The district will provide a private location for a caregiver to administer medical marijuana to students at school. 

Oklahoma law limits who may act as a caregiver and any caregiver will have a medical marijuana license designating them to act on behalf of a student. The caregiver is responsible for bringing the medical marijuana to the qualifying student and promptly removing the medical marijuana from the premises after consumption or use.  Upon arriving at school, the caregiver will follow district protocol with regard to check-in and departure. Please review OKCPS Board Policy F-33 for more information.

Chicken pox vaccine is required for students pre-Kindergarten through 12th grade. The virus is passed by direct person to person contact or by airborne respiratory secretions. The rash usually occurs 10 to 21 days after exposure. The child may have a mild fever and/or loss of appetite for 1 to 2 days before the rash appears. The rash appears as red pimples and progresses to clear, oval-shaped spots which will break easily for 3 to 4 days. The child can return to school when all of the oval-shaped spots are dry and crusted over.

In addition to the annual notification included in the handbook, for further information or health questions regarding Meningitis can be answered through the Oklahoma State Department of Health Immunization Service website or call 405-271-4073 or website https://oklahoma.gov/health/health-education/acute-disease-service/childcare-schools-colleges-and-universities/meningitis.html 

The Immunization Requirements for School Attendance are available on the Oklahoma State Department of Health website and Oklahoma City-County Health Department. Students in grades PK-12 cannot be admitted or enrolled in any public school without the appropriate.

Immunizations according to state law. The OKCPS Health and Medicaid Services Department monitors and implements the immunization program according to State Law #1210-191 and school district policy.  Any student that has not met the State Immunization requirements, will be mailed a notification letter advising of the immunization needs by Health Services DIvision.  After the required date on the notification letter the student remains non-compliant, the student will not be allowed to return until the immunizations are current with the state requirements"

Please contact your healthcare personnel for questions regarding immunizations or student health. 

For more information call the Immunization Service at (405) 271-4073 or visit the website at: https://oklahoma.gov/health/services/personal-health/immunizations.html

Revised 4-4-2019 IMM 400. 

As evidenced during the past three school years, the COVID situation in an area can change quickly. If the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and/or Oklahoma City-County Health Department (OCCHD) changes guidelines for testing or symptoms monitoring, OKCPS will also change to match guidelines that the city or state mandates. 

District students and staff are expected to self-screen prior to reporting to school or work for symptoms of infectious diseases including COVID-19, influenza (flu), respiratory syncytial virus, and gastrointestinal infections. 

District Staff and student(s) should not report to school/work if:

• They are sick

• They have a fever or other COVID-like symptoms,

• They are awaiting COVID-19 test results

• They have received a positive COVID-19 test result

If a student presents at school or during the school day develops a temperature of 100.4 and/or other COVID-like symptoms, regardless of vaccination status, the student will be sent home.

Students that Test Positive

Families should report a positive COVID-19 test result or symptoms to their child’s school which can provide further instructions or guidance.

• A student who tests positive or is symptomatic regardless of vaccination status will be required to stay home for a time period based on current CDC guidelines. Please note that learning will not be interrupted as students will be able to continue with virtual learning. 

After receiving a positive test, a student or staff member should:

• Report a positive case to the school or supervisor. 

• In accordance with the CDC, after testing positive, students and staff should stay home for at least 5 days

• If you have a fever, continue to stay home until your fever resolves. *OKCPS defines “fever resolves” as no fever without fever-reducing medication for 24 hours.