Too Sick for School

It's normal for children to get sick from time to time. But when should a parent keep a child home? Please visit the Washington County Health & Human Services Department School Exclusion webpage for guidance, rules and communicable disease facts.

Below are some guidelines to help you make the decision about when to keep your child home from school. The recommendations are based on the guidelines provided by the Communicable Disease Program of the Washington County Department of Health and Human Services. They were developed to help prevent the spread of potentially contagious disease.

• Fever: With fever greater than 100.4° F; student may return when fever-free for 24 hours (WITHOUT use of fever-reducing medicine).
• Vomiting/Diarrhea: Any unexplained vomiting episode. May return 48 hours after last episode. Diarrhea equals three or more unexplained episodes of watery or loose stools in 24 hours OR sudden onset of loose stools. May return 48 hours after last episode.
• Cough: Serious, sustained coughing, shortness of breath, or difficulty breathing.
• Rash: Any new rash accompanied by a fever. May return after rash goes away or clearance given by a health care provider.
• Skin Lesions/Sores: Drainage from a sore that cannot be contained within a bandage OR sores are increasing in size OR new sores are developing day-to-day.
• Other: Symptoms that prevent the student from active participation in usual school activities OR student is requiring more care than school can safely provide.

Home is the best place for a child who is ill. If your child is sick with a diagnosed communicable disease, please notify the school as soon as possible. This notification will greatly assist others who, due to medical reasons and/or treatments, have weakened immune systems and may require immediate and specialized care.

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