Staying Home and School Exclusions

For the protection of your child as well as the school community, students should be kept home from school or will be dismissed from school under the following circumstances:

• The child has a communicable disease. Students who are prescribed antibiotics for strep throat infection or impetigo (for example) must complete 24 hours of treatment before returning to school. For all other communicable diseases, the student may return to school based on Massachusetts Department of Public Health Guidelines. 

• The child has a temperature of over 100 degrees. The student may return after he/she is fever free for 24 hours without the use of fever reducers.

• The child has an eye infection that has not been diagnosed by a physician. Students may return the day after any indicated treatment has begun for bacterial conjunctivitis, unless the child is at a developmental level that prevents them from maintaining proper hygiene.

• The child has persistent coughing or trouble breathing. He/she may need to be evaluated for asthma, or a serious respiratory infection.

• The child has an undiagnosed rash. Rashes may need to be evaluated by a physician to rule out communicable disease.

• The child has head lice or nits. The student may return to school after the first treatment and all nits are removed.

• The child has diarrhea which cannot be managed by the child’s ability to use the toilet or able to be contained in a diaper. Diarrhea is defined as multiple loose watery stools unrelated to food, medication or a diagnosed chronic condition. The student may return when he/she has been symptom free for 24 hours.

• The child has been vomiting (more than the usual spitting up as in the case of an infant) within the past 24 hours not associated with a diagnosed condition or medication side effect. The student may return when he/she has been symptom free for 24 hours.

• The child has an illness that prevents him/her from participating comfortably in activities as determined by the staff.

• The illness results in a greater need for care than the staff determine they can provide without compromising their ability to care for other children.


Massachusetts Communicable/Infectious Disease Guidelines

If your child has a communicable illness, please notify your child's school nurse. Before returning to school, your child will need to be checked by the school nurse or have a certificate from your doctor (contact the school nurse to see which is applicable).

Isolation and Quarantine Regulations are as follows:

Impetigo - 24 hours after medical treatment has begun, lesions must be covered in school.

Meningitis/Bacterial - 24 hours after antibiotic therapy has begun.

Meningitis/Viral
- No restrictions.

Meningococcal Infections without Meningitis
- 24 hours after start of treatment.

Pinworm
- Students do not need to be excluded assuming treatment has begun.

Ringworm
- 24 hours after treatment has begun. Scabies - Note from Doctor that child has been treated and may return.

Scarlet Fever
- 24 hours after prescribed medication has begun.

Strep Throat
- 24 hours after antibiotic therapy has begun. 



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