Attendance Guidelines

When to Keep Your Child At Home

The following are guidelines for sending your child to school during and after an illness. If any of these conditions do not improve or seem to be getting worse, or aren’t responding to treatment, consult your healthcare provider.

COLD, SORE THROAT, COUGH - Keep your child home if cold and cough symptoms are associated with fever or swollen glands, or if they do not readily improve. Your child may attend school if there is no fever, s/he is not fatigued and is able to do school work, and if the symptoms are mild and your child can manage behaviors to prevent the spread of germs. If your doctor has prescribed antibiotics, your child must be on the antibiotics for at least 24 hours before returning to school.

VOMITING & DIARRHEA - A child with vomiting (more than once in 24 hours) and/or diarrhea (3 or more loose stools/day) should be kept home until symptoms have resolved for 24 hours and the child is able to keep down food and liquid.

FEVER - Your child may attend school with a temperature less than 100 degrees. Your child must be fever-free, without fever-reducing medication, for 24 hours before returning to school.

HEADACHE - A child should be kept home if a headache is severe and does not respond to treatment, and is accompanied by other symptoms such as fever.

EARACHE/TOOTHACHE - A child need not miss school due to an ear infection or a toothache if s/he is under medical treatment, has no other symptoms such as fever, and can complete school work despite the discomfort.

RED EYES - Keep your child home if the sclera (white part of the eye) appears red and produces a yellow or green crusty discharge. If your child has been diagnosed with conjunctivitis (a contagious infection and inflammation of the lining of the eyelid and sclera) s/he may return to school after 24 hours of antibiotic eye medication.

RASH - Keep your child home if your child has a sizable rash over the body or face, and if the rash is oozing or due to a contagious condition.


Note: Dehydration can develop rapidly, particularly in younger children, whenever they have any of the above symptoms. Give them plenty of fluids and consult your healthcare provider.

Thanks for your help in keeping the spread of illness to a minimum. As always, call or email if you have any specific questions.