Health and Safety

COMMON HEALTH CONDITIONS

School nurses monitor for symptoms of communicable, or infectious health conditions. When symptoms exist, your child may not attend school. 

If symptoms occur in school, you will be contacted and you must pick your child up from school. 

If your child is diagnosed with an infectious illness or has symptoms of an infectious condition at home, you must keep your child home from school.

There are some contagious conditions that carry special requirements about returning to school. If your student has a condition or illness about which you are unsure with regard to school attendance, please contact your school nurse to get information before sending your child back to school. We want to be a partner with parents in promoting the very highest level of wellness for each student in our school environment.

The following guidelines must be adhered to:

Persistent Fever: Oral or tympanic temperature of 100.4 degrees or higher: Cannot attend school until fever free for at least twenty-four hours without fever-reducing medication. Students who exhibit first symptoms at home will require a parent or healthcare provider excuse.

Acute Persistent Vomiting or Diarrhea: Students who exhibit first symptoms at home will require a parent or healthcare provider excuse.

Pink Eye: Cannot attend school until twenty-four hours after medical treatment or a note of clearance from a healthcare provider. Healthcare provider excuse required to cover absence.

Chicken Pox: Cannot attend school until all blisters have formed scabs. Healthcare provider excuse required.

Strep Throat: Cannot attend school until twenty-four hours after prescribed medical treatment has been started and has been fever free for 24 hours without fever-reducing medication. Healthcare provider excuse required.

Flu or COVID: Cannot attend until fever free 24 hours without fever-reducing medication. A parent should inform the school nurse if their child is diagnosed with the flu or Covid. Healthcare provider excuse required to cover absence.

Impetigo: Cannot attend school until 24 hours after prescribed medical treatment has been started. Healthcare provider excuse required to cover absence.

Ringworm: Cannot attend school until treatment has been started. Healthcare provider excuse required to cover absence.

MRSA “Staph infection”: Cannot attend school until prescribed medical treatment is started, fever is absent, and the area is covered and drainage is not seeping through bandages. Healthcare provider excuse required to cover absence.

If head lice are identified at school, the school nurse will notify the parent or guardian and provide education on appropriate treatment. For more information about head lice:

ADPH Head Lice Flyer