The school nurse can advise you on a safe return for your child. But here is a list of the most common childhood illnesses for your consideration:

• Pink Eye:
  • Viral: Until the eye is no longer red or producing discharge
  • Bacterial: Until 24 hours after antibiotics started
• Covid-19: Exclude until fever free for 24 hours without the use of fever-reducing medications and other symptoms have improved.
• Fifth’s Disease: Exclude all individuals until fever-free for 24-hours without the use of fever-reducing medication, even if rash is still present.
• Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease: Exclude until fever-free for 24 hours without the use of fever-reducing medications, and the individual feels well enough to return. Blisters should be drying up, not oozing and/or covered before returning. 
• Impetigo: Exclude cases if the sores cannot be completely covered with a bandage and refer for antibiotic treatment. Cases may return 24 hours after starting oral or topical antibiotics and the sores are covered.
• Influenza: Exclusion of cases until symptoms subside and the individual is fever-free for at least 24 hours without the use of fever-reducing medications.
• MRSA: Exclude cases if lesions cannot be covered and the bandage kept dry and intact.
• Norovirus or other GI illness: Exclude cases until vomiting, diarrhea, and fever, if present, have resolved for 24 hours.
• Ringworm: Exclude cases until treatment has been initiated. Cover lesions.
• Scabies: Exclude cases until treatment has been completed.
• Chicken Pox: Exclude until all lesions are dry and crusted. 
• Fever 100 degrees or more: Exclude until 24 hours fever free without the use of fever-reducing medication. 
• General Rash: If the rash spreads quickly, is not healing, or has open weeping wounds, keep your child home and have him or her seen by a health care professional for a diagnosis. 
• Strep Throat: Keep your child home for the first 24 hours after an antibiotic has begun and fever free for 24 hours without the use of fever-reducing medication. 
• Molluscum Contagiosum: There is no need to be excluded from school. Lesions should be covered with clothing as much as possible. 
• Mononucleosis: Exclude until a healthcare provider gives a note clearing him or her to return to school and a clearance note for PE/Athletics is provided. 
• Cold Symptoms: If your child is coughing or experiencing cold symptoms, please keep your child home until fever free for 24 hours without the use of fever-reducing medications and other symptoms have improved. 
• Pinworms: Exclude cases until 24 hours after initial treatment. 
• RSV: Exclude until fever free for 24 hours without the use of fever-reducing medications, wheezing has resolved, the cough may be present but is no longer frequent or distressing and your child is eating and drinking well. 
• Fever Blisters/Cold Sores: Exclude until fever free. Cover sores with a bandage, if possible. If this is your child's first occurrence of an outbreak or if your child excessively drools and blisters are in their mouth or on their lip, please seek advice from a healthcare provider for a safe return. 

You can be given an exemption form through your health office or download an exemption form here. 

Please note the following:

• Medical exemption forms are to be completed by your child’s medical provider.
• Religious exemption forms are for children attending childcare or preschool programs.
• Personal belief exemption forms are for children attending kindergarten through 12^th grade.

No. If you would like your child vaccinated, you would have to use an outside resource as we do not administer vaccinations of any kind in the health office. 

Your child’s medical provider or insurance company can direct you. If uninsured,  Maricopa County Department of Public Health offers free clinics .

Detailed information about lice can be found on the EPA website.