Illness Guidelines
Student Attendance During Illness
There are times when a student should remain at home for their own welfare and the protection of other students. Your student should remain at home if they have:
- Uncontrollable and/or productive cough
- Fever over 100.4 degrees fahrenheit within past 24 hours
- Vomiting or diarrhea within past 24 hours
- Sore throat and swollen glands
- Undiagnosed rash or skin eruptions
- Earache, severe headache or drainage from eyes
Students should remain home for 24 hours after an acute illness or after starting antibiotics for a diagnosed infection. They should also be fever free for 24 hours without the use of fever-reducing medication (acetaminophen, ibuprofen, etc). These absences can be excused with a note from a student's health care provider.
Contact your school nurse for any questions or concerns.
APS Respiratory Illness* Guidelines 2024-25
*Includes, but is not limited to, colds, flu, RSV, COVID-19, pneumonia, etc.
If student/staff member feels sick, please do the following:
- Review the APS Guidelines for Student Attendance During Illness. If student/staff member is not well enough to attend school/work, stay home.
- Consider testing for COVID-19 and/or getting tested for the flu or other respiratory illnesses.
- If student/staff member tests positive for a respiratory illness, notify the school nurse.
- Contact your healthcare provider for guidance.
If student/staff member tests positive for a respiratory virus but does not have any symptoms:
- It is strongly recommended to stay home for about 72 hours to help reduce the chances that you spread the virus to others.
- If you do attend school/work, it is strongly recommended to wear a mask, practice good respiratory hygiene, including frequent hand washing, and employ social distancing around high risk individuals. Masks are available in the health office.
Returning to School after Illness:
Anyone with symptoms of respiratory illness must stay home until they meet both of the following criteria:
Contact your school nurse for any questions or concerns.
- At least 24 hours have passed with no fever (less than 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit) and without the use of fever-reducing medications such as acetaminophen (Tylenol) or ibuprofen (Motrin)
- Symptoms have improved over a 24-hour period
The CDC recommends the prevention strategies listed below when returning to school/work/normal activities for 5 days:
- Wear a well-fitting mask except when actively eating, drinking, or outside
- Keep distance from others, especially the elderly and those who are immunocompromised
- For individuals that test positive for COVID-19, you may consider testing after 5 days of illness to know if you’re still contagious (not required for return to school/work)
As always, practice good respiratory hygiene and wash hands or use sanitizer frequently.
Additional information and resources for respiratory illnesses can be found on Massachusetts Department of Public Health website.