In a notice posted to the Murray City School District website, guidance was provided to help parents determine if a child is too sick to attend school. The notice addresses the balance between maintaining school attendance and protecting public health within classrooms.
Research from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention indicates that student absences increase sharply during peak viral seasons, with illness accounting for nearly 60% of all short-term school absences annually. Furthermore, data from the Journal of School Health shows that children missing approximately two days of school per month—about 10% of the school year—can experience measurable drops in math and reading proficiency by year's end.
Medical professionals suggest that staying home is necessary when specific red-flag symptoms are present. Public health officials emphasize a 24-hour rule because studies on pediatric viral shedding show children are most contagious during the first 24 to 48 hours of an infection, particularly when running a fever. Masking a fever with over-the-counter medicine does not prevent the virus from spreading to teachers and classmates.
The district provided a reference guide for parents regarding when to send children to school or keep them home.
Students may attend school if they have a mild cough or clear runny nose with no other symptoms, a mild stomach ache, or have been fever-free for 24 hours without the use of fever-reducing medicine. Children who have been free of vomiting or diarrhea for at least 24 hours, or those taking prescribed antibiotics for at least 24 hours with improving symptoms, may also attend.
Parents are advised to keep children home if they have a fever higher than 100.4°F, thick green or yellow nasal discharge not caused by allergies, or if they have thrown up two or more times in 24 hours or have frequent, loose, watery diarrhea. For contagious illnesses such as flu, RSV, or COVID-19, children should stay home until they are feeling better and fever-free for 24 hours without medication. For strep throat or pink eye, children should remain home until 24 hours after starting antibiotics. Skin infections like ringworm or impetigo require children to stay home until lesions are covered and the infection is treated.
The notice advises parents to notify the school office regarding absences and to consult a healthcare provider or school nurse when in doubt. For further public health guidance regarding managing viral respiratory illnesses in schools, the notice directs individuals to explore the CDC School Health Guidelines.
