Fever:

A common symptom of viral and bacterial infection. Children are likely to be contagious to others when they have a fever. Please do not give your child fever reducing medicine and then send them to school. The medicine will wear off, the fever will probably return and you'd need to pick them up anyway. Any child with a fever of 100°F or higher should not attend school and should not return until they have been fever free for 24 hours without the use of fever-reducing medicine.

Earache:

The recommendation is to consult or visit the pediatrician or other health provider to rule out infection.

A bad cough or cold symptoms:

Can indicate a severe cold, bronchitis, flu, or even pneumonia. Some children suffer one cold after another all winter long and a run-of-the-mill cold should not be a reason to miss school. But, if your child is not acting "right", has difficulty breathing, or is becoming dehydrated, it could be serious. Check with your doctor right away.

A runny nose:

Is the way many children respond to pollen, dust, chalk, or simply a change of season. If it isn't a common cold, then it's an allergy and allergies aren't contagious. Don't keep the child home.

Diarrhea and vomiting:

Make children very uncomfortable, and being near a bathroom becomes a top priority. Children who have vomited or had diarrhea should be kept at home and should return to school only after being symptom-free for 24 hours.

Conjunctivitis or "pink eye":

Is highly contagious and uncomfortable. Symptoms include eye or eyes burning, itching, and producing a whitish discharge. Minor cases (caused by a virus) and severe cases (caused by bacteria) require treatment with prescription eye drops. Keep your child home until 24 hours after medication is started.

Strep throat and scarlet fever:

Are two highly contagious conditions caused by streptococcal (bacterial) infection. Symptoms include a sore throat and a high fever. With scarlet fever a rash will also appear 12 to 48 hours later. A child with strep throat or scarlet fever should be kept home and treated with antibiotics, as prescribed by a physician. After 24 hours on an antibiotic, a child is usually no longer contagious and may return to school.

Impetigo:

Is a contagious bacterial skin infection that usually begins with small fluid filled blisters that cause a honey-colored crust on skin after bursting. It is important to have these symptoms evaluated by a medical provider because untreated infection can lead to serious complications. A child diagnosed with impetigo is no longer infectious and can return to school 24 hours after antibiotic treatment has been started.

Rash:

Children with a skin rash should see a doctor, as this could be one of several infectious diseases.