When Should My Child Stay Home Sick?
At Student Health Services, our goal is to help every student stay healthy and ready to learn.
Because we have thousands of students and staff in our schools each day, germs can spread quickly—in classrooms, cafeterias, buses, and all around campus.
While we can’t prevent every illness, by working together with families, we can reduce the spread of germs, keep students in school, and support their long-term health and success.
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 Northern Nevada Public Health's recommendations for managing 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 to help parents and staff determine when students and staff should stay home.