Health Guidelines for School Attendance

Updated 2025-26 Guidelines

There are two important factors to consider when making the decision to keep a student home from school: 1. His or her susceptibility to other infections and 2. The possibility that he/she may spread the illness to others.

These guidelines may be used to consider school attendance while addressing some of the following illnesses and conditions:

Fever: An oral temperature of 100 degrees or above is sufficient to keep a student home. He/she must be fever free for at least 24 hours, without fever-reducing medication, before returning to school.

Diarrhea or Vomiting: If a student vomits or has two or more episodes of loose stool, he/she should remain at home and stay at home for at least 24 hours free of vomiting or diarrhea before returning to school.

Rashes: Please do not send a student with a rash to school until the rash and its seriousness has been established. A physician can identify the cause of the rash, if any treatment is needed and if a student is contagious. Please send a doctor’s note upon the student’s return to school.

Cold or Sore Throat: Students may attend school when they have a cold or sore throat, however, they must be free of fever and hacking cough.

Strep Throat or Scarlet Fever: If a student has been diagnosed with strep throat or scarlet fever, please inform the school nurse. The student may return to school 24 hours after treatment with antibiotics.

Conjunctivitis (Pink Eye): A student should not be in school with conjunctivitis (pink eye), but may return to school after 24 hours of treatment with antibiotics and if drainage is no longer present.

Head Lice: Head lice do not pose a public health threat and they do not spread any diseases. Because research has shown that mass screening is not effective, school nurses no longer screen entire classrooms. The best prevention is for parents/guardians to examine a student’s hair on a regular basis and to remind students not to share combs, hats, scrunchies, barrettes, etc. If children are scratching their heads, please look for the cause. If a child has head lice, we ask that the parent/guardian please treat and notify the school nurse. Additional information can be found at cdc.gov/parasites/lice/head/index.html

Scabies: If a child has scabies, he/she will be excluded from school until treatment is instituted. Please notify the school nurse of any known scabies infection