Staying Home When Sick

If a child’s needs while sick with an infectious illness would interfere with the school staff’s ability to teach and care for other students, the child should stay home.  Schools must balance the risk of infectious disease spread with educational, social and mental health needs of children when determining when students should stay home.

If someone has the following symptoms, they should stay home (or be dismissed):

  • Fever, including a fever with a new rash
  • Vomiting more than twice in the preceding 24 hours
  • Diarrhea that causes ‘accidents,’ is bloody, or results in greater than 2 bowel movements above what the child normally experiences in a 24-hour period
  • Skin sores that are draining on an uncovered part of the body and are unable to be covered with a bandage
  • Respiratory virus symptoms that are worsening or not improving and not better explained by another cause, such as seasonal allergies

*The CDC definition of fever: temperature 100.4 or greater, or feels warm to the touch or gives a history of feeling feverish

Return to School criteria

  • No fever (and is not using fever-reducing medicine) for at least 24 hours
  • Fever with a new rash has been evaluated by a healthcare provider and fever has resolved
  • Uncovered skin sores are crusting, and the child is under treatment from a provider
  • Vomiting has resolved overnight and the person can hold down food/liquids in the morning
  • Diarrhea has improved; the person is no longer having accidents or is having bowel movements no more than 2 above normal per 24-hours period. Bloody diarrhea should be evaluated by a healthcare provider prior to return
  • Respiratory virus symptoms are getting better overall for at least 24 hours.  Students and staff returning after a respiratory illness can consider additional actions to reduce spread

Guiding principles:

  1. Our primary goal is to maximize school attendance and its benefits for all students, while also minimizing the spread of infectious diseases
  2. School nurse assessment is guided by Standards of Practice
  3. Haverhill Public Schools aligns with CDC and MA DPH/DESE guidance, including prevention strategies (such as immunization, hygiene and ventilation)
  4. There may be instances when these procedures are adjusted due to community disease spread (e.g. an outbreak or pandemic or time of excessive absences)
  5. School staff who are assigned responsibility for caring for sick children or who will be exposed to infectious materials have access to personal protective equipm