When to Keep Your Child Home

There may be times when your daughter is ill and you are unsure whether or not she should go to school. The following can be used as a guideline to help you make the right choice for your daughter and for her classmates.

Keep your child home if…

• They have a fever of 100 degrees or higher. They may return to school when they have been fever-free for 24 hours (without fever-reducing medication)
• Your child has a low-grade fever (99 degrees) and has other cold symptoms (cough, headache, sore throat, nausea, cramps) or generally looks sick
• Your child has a GI virus that includes vomiting or diarrhea. They should not return until they have gone 24 hours without vomiting or diarrhea. If your child vomits in the morning prior to the school day (even in the absence of a virus), they should stay home.
• Your child has severe congestion, including chest, nasal, sinus, or frequent nasal discharge
• They are coughing enough to need cough medicine during the school day. Coughing is one of the most common ways to spread germs.
• They have a contagious disease such as an undiagnosed rash, mononucleosis, chickenpox, pink eye/conjunctivitis, strep throat, etc. Please see this page for diagnosis-specific return to school requirements.
• Lice – lice must be treated and the head free of lice and nits. You must also notify the school when lice is discovered at home so we can eliminate it as quickly as possible. Check with the nurse before returning to class that day.

Guidelines for COVID-19 are now consistent with the recommendations for preventing the spread of other respiratory viruses. Your child should stay home from school until they are fever-free for 24 hours (without the use of medication) and are showing an overall improvement in symptoms. When students return to school, we recommend that they take additional precautions over the next 5 days, including following strict hand hygiene, wearing a mask, and physical distancing when possible.