This story was produced as part of a collaboration between Chalkbeat Detroit and Planet Detroit. Sign up for Chalkbeat Detroit’s free daily newsletter to keep up with the city’s public school system and Michigan education policy.
Health challenges are among the reasons students miss school at alarmingly high rates. It can be difficult for parents to understand when their child is too sick to attend school, or when it’s OK to send their child to school even if they’re not feeling well.
Attendance Works, along with Kaiser Permanente and National Association of School Nurses, have provided the following guidance for families. They do note, however, that parents with specific concerns should reach out to their child’s health care provider, a local urgent care, or their school nurse.
When to send them to school
- They have a runny nose or just a little cough, but no other symptoms.
- They haven’t had a fever overnight and haven’t taken fever-reducing medicine during that time.
- They have a mild stomachache.
- They haven’t thrown up overnight and can drink liquids without throwing up.
- They have a mild rash and no other symptoms.
- They have eye drainage without a fever, eye pain, or eyelid redness.
When to keep them home
- They have a temperature higher than 100.4 degrees.
- They have thrown up two or more times in the past 24 hours.
- Their stool is watery and they can’t make it to the bathroom in time.
When to seek medical care
- They have a temperature higher than 100.4 degrees and any of the following: ear pain, sore throat, rash, stomachache, headache, or tooth pain.
- They have stomach pain and a fever, they have a bloody or black stool, or they are dehydrated and/or have not urinated in the last eight hours.
- They have a persistent cough or trouble breathing, or have a fever with the cough.
- They have eye swelling, eye pain, or an eye injury.
- They have a rash that has blisters, is draining, is painful, looks like bruises, and/or they have a fever with the rash.
Resources for families struggling with asthma
Here is a list of resources that will be helpful for families struggling with asthma as well as school officials who want to support them.
Children’s Hospital of Michigan’s allergy center
Here you can find an allergist or find out how you can get a referral.
Henry Ford Health School-Based and Community Health Program
Learn more about the school-based and community health programs offered by Henry Ford Health throughout metro Detroit, including their locations, the services offered, and contact information.
Asthma & Allergy Foundation of America Michigan Chapter
This organization provides resources for health care professionals, caregivers, and child care providers.
HEAL (Health Equity Advancement & Leadership) Asthma
This organization addresses health disparities in communities with high rates of asthma.
Learn more about the resources shared by the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services.
Managing Asthma in the School Environment
Tips for educators from the Environmental Protection Agency on how to manage asthma in the school environment, including how to develop an asthma management plan.
Read a blog post about a Baltimore elementary school’s efforts to address the attendance-related impacts of childhood asthma.
Information about a program that helps people create safer homes and eliminate things like asthma triggers.
Detroit: The Current Status of Asthma Burden, 2021 Update
A detailed report about the asthma burden in Detroit