Students with Symptoms of Illness

Students who are not feeling well/symptomatic must stay home and isolate until they have obtained a COVID-19 test result. Symptoms may include fatigue, nausea/vomiting, diarrhea, runny nose/congestion, sore throat, headache, fever/chills, muscle/body aches, new cough, shortness of breath, new loss of taste/smell, or any other new symptoms. 

If the student has a negative COVID test, they must meet the following criteria to return to school:

• stomach ache, nausea, headache, poor appetite, and fatigue must be resolved before returning to school
• cough, runny nose/congestion, and sore throat must be improved before returning to school
• body aches/chills, fever, vomiting, or diarrhea must be resolved for at least 24 hours without the use of fever-reducing medications before returning to school. (e.g., a student develops a fever at 10 am on Monday, fever resolves at noon the same day, the COVID test is negative- student may return to school Wednesday morning). 

Please alert the school site attendance clerk if your child will be absent.

Individuals who experience any symptoms must isolate and obtain a COVID-19 test (antigen or PCR/NAAT) or may pick up an additional antigen test from their school site. Families are encouraged to get an antigen test any time they pick up their students for medical reasons during the school day. Individuals who have had a positive test within the last 90 days are still required to test but should use antigen testing only (not PCR) during this period. Negative test results and minor symptoms do not need to be reported to the school; any questions regarding general health should be directed to your healthcare provider. Official return to school clearance is no longer required after experiencing symptoms. Please note, specialized programs within the District may have more restrictive protocols for absence and illness.

Communicable Diseases

Communicable diseases may be transmitted from person to person and are the most common cause of school absenteeism. It is important to know how communicable diseases are transmitted, diagnosed and treated and what precautions can be taken to prevent their occurrence or their spread.

The body fluids and substances of all persons should be considered potentially infectious for various diseases. While the risk of infection from several different organisms is present, the exact risk depends on a variety of factors. Many disease-causing bacteria and viruses may be carried in the body fluids of persons who have no symptoms of illness. This may be a problem because if the carrier or infected individual appears to be healthy, precautions might not be taken.

Full cooperation with the Public Health Department is expected when requested during an outbreak.

COVID-19

Conjunctivitis (Pink Eye)

Impetigo

Flu

Hand, Foot, and Mouth Disease

Strep Throat

Chickenpox (Varicella)

Pertussis (Whooping Cough)

Food-borne Illness (Norovirus)

Meningitis

Fifth Disease

Ringworm

MRSA

Legal References
California Education Code Communicable Disease

Handwashing
Handwashing at home, at play, and out and about

Flu Fact Sheet
Flu symptoms: when to seek medical care

Hand Hygiene

Keeping your hands clean is one of the best ways to keep from getting sick and spreading illnesses. Practicing good hand hygiene gets rid of bacteria and viruses from contact with other people or surfaces.

Respiratory Infections

Respiratory infections can spread from person to person in respiratory droplets of coughs and sneezes. Droplets from a cough or sneeze of an infected person can be propelled through the air and land on the mouth or nose of people nearby. To prevent the spread of respiratory illnesses, the nose and mouth should be covered with a tissue when coughing or sneezing and the tissue should be thrown in the trash immediately after use.