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Attendance Guidelines

There may be mornings when it is difficult to tell whether or not your child is too ill to go to school. If your student has any of the symptoms below, please keep him or her home for a full 24 hours (or as noted). Symptoms below may indicate an infectious or contagious condition:

  • Temperature of 100 degrees Fahrenheit or greater not accompanied by other symptoms that could be FLU or COVID; please measure temperature BEFORE giving Tylenol, Ibuprofen or any fever-reducing medicine; MUST be fever-free for 24 hours without fever-reducing medicine in order to return to school
  • Red or pink eyes WITH matting, crusting, or drainage
  • Chicken Pox – until cleared by doctor, fever-free, and all blisters are crusted and healing
  • Diarrhea (3 or more loose stools in the past 24 hours or 2 loose stools this morning)
  • Impetigo – Blisters and drainage must be improving and covered completely with a clean dry bandage
  • Influenza (Flu) or Flu-like symptoms (symptoms include body ache, fatigue, redness around eyes, nasal drainage, chills, malaise); remain home until fever-free for 24 hours without medication and student feels better and returns to “normal” routine
  • COVID symptoms (fever and/or a combination of these symptoms: chills; frequent cough; shortness or breath or difficulty breathing; sudden fatigue; muscle or body aches; new loss of taste and/or smell; sore throat; congestion or nasal drainage; nausea or vomiting; diarrhea); keep home for up to 10 days and monitor. Please notify your Attendance Clerk if this is applicable to your student. For a COVID-related absence beyond 10 days, a doctor’s note is required to obtain an excused absence.
  • Ringworm in one or multiple areas, making it difficult to keep covered OR student is unable to refrain from scratching area; must keep home until treated with antifungal medication and lesion(s) can be covered
  • Any rash that resembles VIRAL rash, POX, or other unidentified rash; if in doubt, RN will refer to MD or parent must keep home until rash clears
  • Vomiting (3 or more times in past 24 hours or 2 times this morning)
  • Lethargic or unusually irritable behavior
  • Cough, sneezing, or runny nose that interferes with your student’s ability to read, write, or follow instruction or that is disruptive to classmates due to frequency

Please note, these are the minimum requirements for exclusion from in-person learning. Parents must carefully consider when to bring students back to class. Please consult with your campus nurse if you have questions. Please also remember that if your student has been sick, the recuperation period not only helps prevent the spread of illness, but gives your child’s immune system time to recover.

Frequent, vague complaints of not feeling well are common when children are anxious or stressed or even when they realize staying at home brings a little extra attention. It is wise to discuss this with your doctor and your child’s teacher. Good attendance is important for student success! If you decide to send your child to school when they are on the “borderline” of being sick, it is a good idea to notify the school nurse and/or teacher. Be sure to update your contact information with phone numbers so that you may be reached during the day if your child’s condition worsens.

If your student has test-confirmed COVID, please report this to the district by using the link found on the NISD website.

These guidelines are subject to change based on advice from CDC, TEA, and our local health departments.

Revised September 1, 2021