When to Keep Your Child Home

For CDC guidance on respiratory viruses such as COVID-19, flu and RSV, please see:

To comply with guidelines from the Texas Administrative Code and the Department of State Health Services, a student must stay home or be sent home from school for:

• Conjunctivitis (pink eye)
• Diarrhea: A student must stay home until diarrhea-free for 24 hours without use of diarrhea-suppressing medications.
• Fever: A student with a temperature of 100 F (37.8 C) or higher must stay home until fever-free for 24 hours without use of fever-reducing medication.

Texas DSHS Communicable Disease Chart and Notes for Schools with Exclusion Criteria

In the best interest of your child and his/her classmates, your child shall also remain at home for the following conditions:

• Uncontrolled asthma or diabetes
• Undiagnosed rash
• Vomiting: If vomiting two or more times in 24 hours, students must stay home until free from vomiting for 24 hours without use of vomiting-suppressing medications. 

Your child may be sent home for other reasons, as determined by the clinic staff at your child’s school.

If you are unsure whether to keep your child home, contact your school nurse. When your child returns to school, remember to send an excuse note with him/her.    Pearland ISD Absence Note

*If at any time public health authorities declare a communicable disease outbreak, epidemic, or pandemic, Pearland ISD will notify parents and staff members of any additional necessary guidelines the district receives from appropriate regulatory and guidance agencies, which may include additional school exclusion criteria.