Is your child too sick to come to school?
Review our guidelines for attendance
The Iowa City Community School District has procedures in place for sending and keeping children home from school when they are ill. We follow these procedures to make sure that children are given an adequate amount of time and rest to get well before returning to school and to prevent the spread of germs to other children and school staff. Please help to keep our schools healthy environments by following these simple rules.
1. Keep your child home from school if they have a fever of 100.4 (F) or higher.
They can return to school after they have been fever-free for 24 hours without the use of a fever-reducing medication like Tylenol or ibuprofen.
2. Your child should stay home from school if they have diarrhea and/or vomiting.
They may return to school 24 hours after these symptoms have stopped.
3. When your child returns to school after an illness he/she should be able to participate in the total school program including outdoor recess and physical education.
Your child will be excused from outside recess and physical education after an illness only by a written recommendation from your family doctor or primary health care provider.
4. Please be sure the school has a telephone number where you can be reached in case your child becomes ill at school. Call the school’s attendance number if your child will not be attending school because of illness.
5. Please ensure your child is adequately dressed for the Iowa weather.
- Elementary schools will follow temperature guidelines from the Iowa Department of Health in regard to outdoor recess.
- Cold: Outdoor recess is to be held when the wind chill or air temperature is 0 degrees or higher. Children are to wear proper outdoor winter clothing. District resources are available to obtain adequate winter outerwear if needed.
- Heat: Outdoor recess is to be held when the heat index is under 100 degrees. Students should dress appropriately for the heat and be encouraged to drink water for adequate hydration.