Guidelines for Sick Students
APS Student Illness & Return to School Guidelines
When a child is unwell, their ability to learn may be affected, and there is an increased risk of spreading illness to other students and staff. Using guidance from the Georgia Department of Public Health and Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, APS provides the following guidelines to help families know when children should stay home and when they can return to school.
❗Important Notes
- These guidelines are for school attendance only and are not a medical diagnosis
- School nurses cannot diagnose medical conditions, but they may recommend that a healthcare provider evaluate the child before returning to school.
- School guidance may be based on a child’s diagnosis or symptoms, as well as school illness trends when a diagnosis is not yet known. 24 hours is counted from the last time the symptom was experienced. Symptoms must be improving overall.
- If your child becomes ill at school or is deemed too sick to benefit from instruction, you may be asked to pick them up.
📋Please make sure your school has:
- A current phone number where you can be reached during the day
- At least one emergency contact
- Updated contact information anytime it changes
🦠 Respiratory Illnesses
🤒Symptoms
- Fever
- Vomiting or Diarrhea
- Cough
- Pain (headache, stomachache, sore throat, toothache, joint pain)
- Eye redness/drainage (non-infectious or uncertain)
- Allergies (environmental conjuctivitis)
- New Skin Rash (unknown cause)
- Existing or common skin rash (e.g., eczema)