When Students Are Too Sick for School

Because we care about protecting students and their families from contagious diseases . . .

• Please keep an ill student home, or make arrangements with a caregiver, when signs or symptoms of illness are present.
• Students with symptoms of illness at school may place other students at risk of illness, and will need to be picked up promptly.
• Please notify us if your student has a contagious illness. An exposure may be life‐threatening for others with fragile immune systems or certain medical conditions.
• Your student's health information will be treated confidentially

Symptoms of Illness:

APPEARANCE, BEHAVIOR – Unusually tired, pale, lack of appetite, difficult to wake, confused or irritable.
EYES – White or yellow drainage, vision change, and/or redness of the eyelid or skin around the eye, itchiness, pain or sensitivity to light. This may be a sign of “pink eye” (conjunctivitis) and need medical evaluation. However, students can be in school if there is only minimal redness to the white of the eye and no other signs.

FEVER – Temperature of 100 degrees Fahrenheit or higher. Student needs to be fever free for 24 hours before returning to school. Giving a fever reducing medication just before returning to school does not make a student well. It may only mask the fever until the medication wears off. In this situation, a student needs to be home so others are not exposed to illness.

EAR PAIN WITH FEVER – Untreated ear infections may cause permanent hearing loss so consult with the student’s health care provider.

PERSISTENT NASAL DRAINAGE AND/OR CHRONIC COUGH – May need to be seen by a health care provider; these may be signs of a condition that may spread to others and require treatment.

SORE THROAT – Especially with fever or swollen glands in the neck – A student with a confirmed diagnosis of strep throat may return to school after 24-hours of appropriate treatment.

DIARRHEA – 3 or more watery stools in a 24-hour period, especially if the student acts or looks ill.

VOMITING – Vomiting 2 or more times within the past 24-hours.

RASH – Body rash, especially with fever or itching. Exceptions are rashes due to heat, diapers, and allergic reactions which are not spread to others.

SCABIES – Students with scabies may return to school 24-hours after beginning treatment.

CHICKENPOX –Students are infectious 1 – 2 days before the rash appears and until the blisters (sores) are dry and crusted. This is usually 5‐6 days after the rash appears. Students need to stay home until all lesions have crusted over and there are no new lesions in 24 hours.

Keeping ill students at home& encouraging frequent hand washing protects all. While we regret any inconvenience this may cause, following these guidelines will result in fewer absences & less illnesses overall. Thank you for your support keeping students safe & healthy.

                              -The Everett School District Health Services Team

For more information regarding illness and diseases, please follow the link: Snohomish Public Health Fact Sheets .