Illnesses & Communicable Diseases

• Many students and parents are frequently concerned about when students should stay home or attend school.  You can expect your child to be ill 5-7 days during a school year.  Remember that a child ill with an infectious disease can spread the disease when in contact with others in the family and the community.  The following information is intended to help with this decision:
• If student is absent due to illness, please call the ISD 728 Attendance Line at 763-241-3555 daily to report illness.

If someone has the following symptoms, they should stay home because their illness could affect their ability to participate in school and there is concern that they might spread an infection to staff and students.

• Fever above 100.4, including a fever with a new rash.

• Vomiting more than twice in the preceding 24 hours.

• Diarrhea that causes ‘accidents’, is bloody, or results in greater than two bowel movements above what the child normally experiences in a 24-hour period

• Skin sores that are draining fluid on an uncovered part of the body and are unable to be covered with a bandage.

• Respiratory virus symptoms that are worsening or not improving and not better explained by another cause such as seasonal allergies.

  • ​​​​​​​When you may have a respiratory virus...‎

    • Stay home and away from others (including people you live with who are not sick) if you have respiratory virus symptoms that aren't better explained by another cause. These symptoms can include fever, chills, fatigue, cough, runny nose, and headache, among others.

For the general symptoms described above, policies can allow return to the school setting when:

• The child has not had a fever (and is not using fever-reducing medicine) for at least 24 hours.

• Fever with a new rash has been evaluated by a healthcare provider and fever has resolved.

• Uncovered skin sores are crusting, and the child is under treatment from a provider.

• Vomiting has resolved overnight and the child can hold down food / liquids in the morning.

• Diarrhea has improved, the child is no longer having accidents or is having bowel movements no more than 2 above normal per 24-hour period for the child. Bloody diarrhea should be evaluated by a healthcare provider prior to return.

• Respiratory virus symptoms are getting better overall for at least 24 hours. Students and staff returning after a respiratory illness can consider additional actions to reduce spread.

When students are ill at school, an attempt is made to first contact the parent and then the name listed on the student emergency information. If you have any questions regarding the above information or your child’s illness, please call your school nurse or family physician.

• Chickenpox is a viral illness.
• The symptoms include a rash beginning as red bumps turning into blisters, and possibly a fever.
• Exclusion from school is until all blisters have dried and formed scabs, about 6 days after the onset of the rash.

• COVID-19 is a disease caused by coronavirus germs that pass easily from one person to another.
• COVID-19 affects a person’s nose and throat and can sometimes affect a person’s lungs and can make it hard to breathe normally.
• Symptoms of COVID-19 can include fever, cough, shortness of breath, chills, headache, muscle pain, congestion or runny nose, sore throat, fatigue, or loss of taste or smell. Other less common symptoms include stomach symptoms like nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea.
• Exclusion from school only if fever is present. It is recommended to follow the Minnesota Department of Health guidelines if you test positive for COVID-19 infection.

• Fifth disease is a mild, common viral rash illness.
• Early symptoms are generally mild and may include a sore throat or low-grade fever.  When the rash develops, it often appears on the cheeks (a slapped cheek look) and moves to the arms, upper body, buttocks, and legs. The rash on the body appears fine, lacy, and pink and is more pronounced with exposure to heat or sunlight.
• Exclusion from school only if fever is present. Children do not need to stay home from school if other rash-causing illnesses are ruled out by a healthcare provider.

• Hand, Foot, and Mouth disease is a viral infection causing a blister-like rash.
• Symptoms include a low-grade fever, sores/blisters on hands, feet, in mouth, and sometimes on buttocks. These sores may last 7 to 10 days.
• Exclusion from school is until fever is gone and child is well enough for routine activities. Sores or a rash may still be present.

• Head lice are not dangerous and do not transmit disease. 
• Symptoms of head lice include itching of the head and neck. Live lice crawling. Eggs (nits) are tiny in size (eye of a small needle) and are gray or white in color.
• Children attending preschool or elementary school are the most commonly affected because they tend to play close together.
• Health Services staff are knowledgeable regarding head lice eradication.  Our goal is to support families when faced with a head lice infestation and minimize classroom disruptions due to head lice.
• For additional information, refer to "Head Lice 101" and "Facing Head Lice". No exclusion is required but it is recommended that the child be treated for head lice. The child should be encouraged to avoid head-to-head contact with other children.

• Influenza-like Illness is described as symptoms of a cough or sore throat and a fever of 100 degrees or greater. 
• Other symptoms may include chills, body aches, headache and a runny or stuffy nose.
• The recommendation from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) is that children can return to school 24 hours after their fever is gone without fever-reducing medication, and they are feeling well enough to participate in school. Flu symptoms may last 5-7 days.

• Impetigo is a contagious bacterial skin infection often occurring on the nose, arms, legs, or around the mouth. 
• Sores begin as small fluid-filled blisters but rupture quickly, producing a thick golden-yellow discharge that dries, crusts, and sticks to the skin. 
• This infection is common in young children and is easily spread from person to person by touching the fluid from the sores.
• Exclusion from school is until 24 hours after treatment begins and sores are drying.

• Pink Eye is a common infection involving redness, itching, pain and drainage from the eyes; a fever may also be a symptom.
• No exclusion is required unless the child has a fever or is not healthy enough to participate in routine activities. Antibiotics and/or a note from a health care provider are not required to return to school.

• Ringworm is a fungal infection of the body, scalp, hair, or feet.
• Ringworm on the body appears as flat, spreading ring-shaped areas on the skin.  If lesions can be covered, no exclusion.
• If lesions cannot be covered, exclusion from school is until 24 hours after treatment begins.

• Scabies is an infestation of the skin caused by a tiny, insect-like animal called a mite. The female mite burrows under the skin to lay her eggs.
• Symptoms include intense itching (especially at night) and a rash of pink bumps or tiny blisters most commonly seen between the fingers, on the hands, knees, elbows, armpits and around the waist.
• Exclusion from school is until 24 hours after treatment begins.

• Strep throat and scarlet fever (a strep infection with a rash) are common bacterial infections in young children. 
• Symptoms of strep throat often include a fever, red sore throat, and swollen glands.  Headache, nausea, and stomach pain may also be more common in children.
• If your child is positive for strep, they must be on antibiotics for 12 hours and fever free for 24 hours before they can return to school.

• Whooping Cough is a persistent bacterial cough illness.
• Common symptoms include a cough that occurs in sudden, uncontrollable bursts, high-pitched whooping sounds, and vomiting after a coughing spell. 
• Exclusion from school is until they have finished 5 days of antibiotics, unless they have been coughing greater than 3 weeks.
• Whooping Cough is a reportable disease through the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH).