• When Should My Child Stay Home Sick?

    The health professionals at the Washoe County School District’s Student Health Services Department are dedicated to keeping students healthy and learning-ready.

    With 63,000 students and more than 7,000 staff members spending time at Washoe County schools each day, keeping the school environment safe and healthy can be quite a challenge. There are always germs being passed around from person to person, in the classroom, the cafeteria, on the bus, and every other area of the campus.

    We can’t eliminate germs entirely, but by working together with parents and families, we can reduce the spread of illness, improve attendance, increase graduation rates, and give each student the best opportunity to become a successful and healthy adult.

    When Should My Child Stay Home?

    Your child should stay home from school if she/he:
    • has an undiagnosed fever of 100.4 degrees or higher, vomiting or diarrhea
    • has an undiagnosed skin rash
    • has purulent (green or yellow) drainage from eyes, nose, or ears
    • has a sore throat
    • appears mildly ill and is unable to participate in normal school activities
    • needs more care than can be provided by school staff

    Click here to review the illness self-screening tool. These updated practices are not only for students, but also for employees.

    When Can My Child Return to School?

    The Washoe County School District follows the recommendations of Northern Nevada Public Health for the management of communicable diseases. Click here for Northern Nevada Public Health Recommendations for the Prevention and Control of Communicable Diseases in Schools.

    Per the Northern Nevada Public Health, beginning on March 1, 2024, the following guidelines will be observed when WCSD students and staff return following illness:
    • Fever – The ill person needs to be fever-free for 24 hours without medication prior to return.
    • Vomiting/diarrhea – The ill person should not experience any vomiting/diarrhea for 24 hours without medication prior to returning.
    • Rash of unknown origin – The ill person should not return to school or work until a medical exam confirms these symptoms are not contagious. If it is a contagious skin infection, the ill person must remain away from school or work until 24 hours after treatment has begun. Children or staff who have a rash with a fever should not be allowed to return until the fever has been gone for 24 hours (without the use of fever-reducing medication) and should not return until there have been no new lesions for 24 hours.
    • Yellow or greenish drainage from eyes, nose, or ears – The ill person can return to school or work if they have taken antibiotics for 24 hours before returning or drainage has completely resolved.
    • Sore throat – The ill person will be sent home and should be seen by a healthcare provider if symptoms worsen. The ill person may return the following day if symptoms improve.
    • Cough – The ill person may attend school or work unless they have a fever or other symptoms indicating a possible infection.

    Please consult with your school's health office if you have any questions. Click here for the general illness screening tool that should be used to help parents and staff determine when students and staff should stay home.

     

    De acuerdo al Distrito de salud, comenzando el 10 de enero de 2023, se seguirán las siguientes “prácticas de exclusión” (pautas sobre cuándo los estudiantes y el personal puedan regresar después de una enfermedad) en las escuelas de WCSD y otros sitios de trabajo del WCSD:

    • Fiebre – La persona enferma no debe tener fiebre durante 24 horas sin medicamentos antes de regresar.
    • Vómito / diarrea – La persona enferma no debe tener ningún vómito/diarrea durante 24 horas sin medicamento antes de regresar.
    • Erupción cutánea de origen desconocido – La persona enferma no debe regresar a la escuela o al trabajo hasta que un examen médico confirme que estos síntomas no son contagiosos.  Si se trata de una infección de piel contagiosa, la persona enferma debe permanecer alejada de la escuela o trabajo hasta 24 horas después de iniciado el tratamiento.  Los menores y el personal que presentan una erupción cutánea con fiebre no se les permitirá regresar hasta que la fiebre haya desaparecido por 24 horas (sin el uso de medicamento para reducir la fiebre), y no deberán regresar hasta que no tenga nuevas lesiones durante 24 horas.
    • Secreción amarillenta o verdosa de ojos, nariz u oídos – La persona enferma puede regresar a la escuela o el trabajo si han tomado antibióticos durante las 24 horas antes de regresar o se ha resuelto totalmente la secreción.
    • Dolor de garganta – La persona enferma se le pedirá ir a casa y deberá ser vista por un médico si los síntomas empeoran.  La persona enferma puede regresar al siguiente día si los síntomas mejoran.
    • Tos – La persona enferma puede asistir a la escuela o el trabajo al menos que tengan fiebre u otros síntomas que indique una posible infección.
    • COVID – Si es diagnosticado con una prueba de laboratorio o prueba casera, la persona enferma será excluida de la escuela o el trabajo por 5 días, y podrá regresar en el sexto día si pueden usar una máscara durante los siguientes 5 días.

    Por favor consulte con la enfermera de su escuela si tiene cualquier pregunta. Una herramienta de detección de enfermedades está disponible para ayudar a los padres y el personal determinar cuando los estudiantes y el personal deben quedarse en casa en www.washoeschools.net/selfscreening.