When a student becomes ill but does not require immediate medical help, a determination will be made about whether the student should be sent home (ie. should be temporarily excluded from school). A designated staff member will determine whether the student’s illness meets one of the following criteria:
If any one of these criteria are met, the student may be excluded, regardless of the type of illness, unless a pediatric health professional determines the student’s condition does not require exclusion. Parents are always encouraged to consult their primary care provider to determine if their child’s condition warrants further evaluation and treatment.
If your child has a fever, vomiting and/or diarrhea, keep them at home for at least 24 hours after symptoms have resolved and the fever is gone. The fever must be gone without the use of fever-reducing medicines, such as acetaminophen. This will help ensure that the illness/fever is truly gone and that your child is past the point of being contagious.
**We use current CDC and DPHHS/LCPH guidelines**
Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services (Winter 2023). Communicable Disease: A Guide for Schools and Daycares in Montana.
Hashikawa, A.N., Shope, T.R., American Academy of Pediatrics. (2023). Managing Infectious Diseases in Child Care and Schools: A Quick Reference Guide. (6th edition, page 50). American Academy of Pediatrics.
Selekman, J., Shannon, R.A., Yonkaitis, C.F. (2019). School Nursing A Comprehensive Text. (3rd edition, page 337). F.A. Davis, Philadelphia.
Administrative Rules of Montana 37.111.825 HEALTH SUPERVISION AND MAINTENANCE
CDC resource pages:
https://www.cdc.gov/nonpharmaceutical-interventions/school/parents-childcare-k-12-students.html
https://www.cdc.gov/flu/symptoms/index.html
https://www.cdc.gov/nonpharmaceutical-interventions/school/parents-childcare-k-12-students.html
Update 2/14/24