Skip To Main Content

Student Health

Health Guidance for Going to School

Showing up to school every day is critical for children’s well-being, engagement, and learning.

Make sure to send children to school if they are:

  • Generally healthy and well

  • Participating in usual day-to-day activities

Children can even go to school if they:

  • Have a mild cold, which may include a runny nose and/or cough

  • Have eye drainage without fever, eye pain, or eyelid redness
  • Have a mild stomachache
  • Have lice nits. If live lice are found, the guardian will be instructed to remove live lice after the end of the school day. 
    Though they are annoying and should be treated, lice are not a reason to exclude a child from school. (This is consistent with the guidance provided by DPI, AAP, CDC, and DHS.)
  • Haven’t had a fever for 24 hours and have not taken fever-reducing medicine during that time.

Avoid keeping children at home unless they are too sick to participate. Note: In most situations, a healthcare provider’s note is not needed to return.

Is your child well enough to go to school?

It is not always easy to decide if your child is sick enough to stay home or well enough to be in school. Children who come to school are expected, with few exceptions, to participate fully in school activities. 

If your child has a medical concern in school, we will need to be able to reach you. Please make sure to notify your school office of any work or phone number changes as they occur.

Here are some guidelines that might help a parent/guardian decide if a student should stay home from school or not.  

Fever: A fever of 100.4 degrees or more signals an illness that is probably going to make a student uncomfortable and unable to function well in class. Your child should stay home until their temperature is less than 100 degrees (without the use of fever-reducing medication) for 24 hours and they are feeling better.

Vomiting, Diarrhea, or Severe Nausea: These are symptoms that require a student to remain at home until a normal diet is tolerated for 24 hours.

Infectious Diseases: Diseases such as impetigo and strep throat may require a health care provider’s visit and prescription for medication. A student may return to school 24 hours after the first dose of an antibiotic is given and be fever-free for 24 hours (without the use of fever-reducing medication).

Rashes: If rashes or patches of broken, itchy skin appear to be spreading or not improving, contact your health care provider.

Injuries: Injuries that interfere with class participation need a medical evaluation. If participation in physical education classes is not recommended, a health care provider’s note that indicates the student’s limitations and what they can do is required.

If you don’t know whether to send your child to school or have specific concerns regarding your child's health, contact your child’s Healthcare Provider, local urgent care, or the School Nurse.

If you do decide to keep your student home, it’s very important that you notify your school when your student will be absent, arrive late, or need to leave early. When possible, please do so prior to the start of the school day.

Any absence can be reported via phone call or email to your student's school. You may also use the Absence Requests feature in Campus Parent/Parent Portal to enter your student’s absence.

Please see the instructions, found here, on how to enter an Absence Request via the Campus Portal.

Enter an absence via Campus Parent

If your child has a compromised immune system or is at high risk for complications from common illnesses, please talk to your School Nurse about developing a plan with you and your child's Healthcare Provider to keep your child healthy and safe while attending school.

Information included was collected from Attendance Works, Kaiser Permanente, and the National Association of School Nurses (NASN).

Students may also avoid school due to anxiety

Symptoms may include:

  • decreased appetite
  • feeling tired
  • stomachache
  • headache etc.

If you are worried that your child may be suffering from anxiety, talk with your student’s Classroom Teacher, the School Nurse, Social Worker, or other School Staff to discuss the challenge and identify what can help your child stay in school.