COMMUNICABLE / INFECTIOUS DISEASES REGULATIONS

Guidelines for Keeping Sick Children Home from School

As a parent, there are times when you may be unsure whether or not to send your child to school. In accordance with Maine Department of Education and the American Academy of Pediatrics guidelines, a child should not attend school if he/she exhibits one or more of the following symptoms or infections.

Fever: A fever is defined as a temperature of 100 degrees or higher. Students must stay home from school for 24 hours after they no longer have a fever without the use of fever-reducing medicine.

Conjunctivitis/Pink Eye: Inflammation and/or infection of the conjunctiva / mucous membranes of the eye. Students with suspected conjunctivitis (red eyes with green or yellow drainage) should stay home from school until their health care provider has examined them and approved readmission. Any prescribed medication should be started before returning to school.

Vomiting and/or Diarrhea: Students should stay home and return to school after being symptom-free for 24 hours.

Rash: Students with an unexplained rash with fever or behavior change. Students may return to school if a physician has determined the illness is not contagious and the fever is gone.

Strep Throat/Impetigo: Students must stay home from school until 24 hours after antibiotic treatment has been started.

All students with diagnosed communicable disease or with symptoms of communicable disease may be temporarily excluded from school. The parent/guardian or emergency contact will be notified and asked to take the student from the school. The Center for Disease Control is allowed by law to direct that a child that has a communicable disease be excluded from school.

The school nurse should be contacted if a parent has any questions, or if your child has been diagnoses with a contagious illness.