When to Stay Home

Your child’s health and the health of all children are important to us. Healthy children are better learners. District 6 and health department guidelines recommend that children are excluded from school and/or stay home with the following conditions:

Exclusion Guidelines / When to keep your student home

Cough – Recommended for students experiencing severe, uncontrolled coughing or wheezing, or difficulty breathing.

Diarrhea – Recommended for students with other symptoms in addition to diarrhea such as: vomiting, abdominal pain, fever, the diarrhea cannot be contained in a toilet, there is blood or mucus in the stool. Student should be diarrhea free for 24 hours without medication before returning to school.

Fever (defined as a temperature>100.5 F orally) – Recommended if the student has symptoms in addition to the fever such as a rash, sore throat, vomiting, diarrhea, etc. Student should be fever free for 24 hours without medication before returning to school.

Mouth Sores – Recommended if student is drooling uncontrollably.

Rash – Recommended if student has symptoms in addition to the rash such as behavioral change, fever, joint pain, bruising not associated with injury, or if the rash is open and oozing.

Stomachache / Abdominal Pain – Recommended if the pain is severe, if the pain appears after an injury, or if the student had symptoms in addition to the stomachache such as vomiting, fever diarrhea etc.

Swollen Glands – Recommended if the student has symptoms in addition to the swollen glands such as difficulty breathing or swallowing, fever etc.

Vomiting – Generally recommended if the student has vomited more than 2 times in 24 hours, if the vomit is green or bloody, if the student had a recent head injury, or if the student has symptoms in addition to the vomiting such as fever, diarrhea, stomachache, etc. Student should be vomit free for 24 hours without medication before returning to school.

Earache – No exclusion necessary.

Headache – No exclusion necessary. Contact nurse if headache is persistent, severe, is accompanied by other symptoms or if the student has a health care plan.

Lice – Exclusion is for children found with live head lice only. Data does not support school exclusion for nits (lice eggs).

Contagious Illness – Students on antibiotics for contagious illnesses, such as strep throat, tonsillitis, bronchitis, pinkeye or pneumonia, must stay home until antibiotic has been taken for 24 hours.

All skin lesions must be covered by a bandage or clothing during the school day. This may include impetigo, ring worm, scabies, and other fungal, bacterial or viral skin infections.

Other considerations – Consider exclusion if:

.     The student is unable to participate comfortably in usual activities.

.     The student requires more medical care than the school personnel are able to provide.

.     The student has a high fever, behavioral changes, persistent crying, difficulty breathing, uncontrolled coughing, or other signs suggesting a severe illness.

.     The student is ill with a potentially contagious disease and exclusion is recommended by a health care provider, the state or local public health agency.

Sources:          Adapted from CDPHE – Infectious Disease Guidelines in Public Schools, Revised Dec. 2004. Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment.

htto://www.cde.state.co.us/cdesced/NurseHealth.aso#infect

Thank you for your consideration of the health of your child, all students, and staff at our school. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact your school health office.