How High Is Too High to Send Son Back to School?

Updated on May 29, 2012
J.V. asks from Las Vegas, NV
15 answers

Since Thrusday my son's tempuature has been going from 99.0 degrees to 100 degrees with it spiking to 102 on Saturday. So far it has been maintaining between 99 to 100 degrees. Took my son to see the doctor on Friday and she says he's healthy and it's a virus that his body has to fight it on it's own. I had to sign my son out of school a couple months back because his tempuature was 99.5 degrees and the school nurse said it can't be that high for him to be in school. So far he has been up playing some and resting when I tell him to but I would like him to spend his last week in a half in school and not miss spending time with his friends. I don't know what I'm going to do come Tuesday if it's still 99.0 degrees.
So how high is too high to send back to school even though he is acting normal and his doctor says he's healthy?

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So What Happened?

I'm gonna see how he's doing come Tuesday. By then I'm hoping his temp is down and he's able to go to school.

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R.K.

answers from Appleton on

Get a second opinion. He's got a bug of some kind.

I would make him some chamomile tea, use one chamomile tea bag and one mint --tastes more like mint. Have him drink a lot tonight and tomorrow. Also make some home made chicken soup for him. Sometimes the tea and soup are the best things for a viral bug.

I know it's hot and soup and tea are probably not the thing he will want to eat but it always worked for my kids and me when we were sick.

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C.O.

answers from Washington DC on

Our school doesn't send kids home for anything less than 100 degrees. They must be fever free for 24 hours before returning to school unless they have a doctors note that they are not contagious.

Get a note from the doctor and send him back to school on Tuesday.

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J.T.

answers from Dallas on

He needs to have an UNMEDICATED temp of 99.0 or below for at least 24 hours. If he wakes up tomorrow higher than that, he stays home Tuesday.

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H.W.

answers from Portland on

I think you should check your school's illness exclusion policy online (or your district's.) 99.5 seems low to me for exclusion, but each state is different.

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T.B.

answers from Miami on

What is your school's policy? Do they have a fever policy? The school my children attend have a fever policy. They MUST be fever free for 24 hours without any fever reducing medication for 24 hours as well. The temp must be normal temp. If the school nurse checks the temp and it's 99, I get a phone call. Do yourself and everyone else a favor, keep your son home when any fever is present. Fevers, while good, are also a sign of an active infection and it's unfair to expose innocent people to his infection.

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B.C.

answers from Dallas on

99 isn't a fever. I send kids home if they are 99.7 or higher.

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S.H.

answers from Honolulu on

Well the Doc said your son is healthy, thus.... his body can fight off this illness. Without medication.
Not that he is healthy and illness free.
There is a difference.
He is not illness free.
He has a fever. That means he has a bug or something.
Lots of bugs going around now, even in my city. Lot of kids and adults getting sick and getting this.
My son is currently sick too, with this same thing.
But school is already done for him.
But if school was still in session, I would not be sending him to school with a fever.

Now per your son's school "rules", the school Nurse said that he cannot come back if it is over 99.5 degrees. Personally to me, that is low.
But your son's school has their rules.
Tuesday... is a couple of days away.
Your son could be fine by then.
But typically, schools require a "fever" to be gone for at least 24 hours before a child is back in school.
So, you need to monitor your son's fever.

The Fever, must be, left alone... meaning, NO giving him Tylenol or Motrin to artificially reduce his fever, in order for him to go back to school.

My daughter has a classmate that got sick with this same bug, like 2 days before school ended. That girl, missed, the last 2 days of school and the school parties. She had a fever and was ill. Her parents kept her home. It could not be helped. The girl was sick.

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M.C.

answers from Washington DC on

Our school policy matches Cheryl's. Under 100 and for at least 24 hours before coming back to school. So your policy must be either 99 or 100. It would be listed in your school handbook.

This means that if he gets anything over the threshold after 7a tomorrow that he can't go to school on Tues.

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K.R.

answers from Sherman on

ha! this question is not what i thought!! my best guess was that you had a troublesome teenager! LOL

i hope ur little one is well soon.

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G.B.

answers from Oklahoma City on

Most school districts have a strict temperature guideline. Ours for child care is 100.9 or above. If the temperature is 101.0 or above it is not allowed, if it has been that high in the past 24 hours they are not allowed to attend school either.

Check with your school website to see what their policy is but I bet he can go to school in the morning. If the doc thinks he is contagious then he should stay home, if he does not then he can go. He has the doc's permission.

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B.C.

answers from Norfolk on

Our school uses 100 as a cut off.
100 and over, you get sent home (or you stay home).
Below 100 for over 24 hours and you can come to school.
With one more day to recuperate he should be fine by Tuesday.
For badly sick kids I wouldn't do this but if he's on the edge come Tue morning,
give him some Tylenol and send him to school.

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L.M.

answers from Dover on

If they are acting fine, you can use the school's handbook as the rule of thumb...they vary by state (and sometimes district too) so check that out first. Typically it is something like 'no fever of 100 or higher and must be down for at least 24 hours without medication".

Give him lots of cool liquids (specifically water, gatorage, juices...not milk products or sodas unless that is the only thing he will drink). The more liquids he takes, the more hydrated he will be and that will help. The higher the fever gets, the less he will drink and if he gets dehydrated the fever will rise more.

Since he's been running a fever for so lond, have you given him anything for it? Sometimes w/ my kids, all they need is one or two doses and lots of liquids and they are good to go.

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K.S.

answers from Minneapolis on

Read your school's handbook, it should list the requirement

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J.H.

answers from San Antonio on

Our school says any temperature and the child can't go to school. You need to find out what your school says.

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R.S.

answers from San Antonio on

Our school's policy is under 100.4 for 24 hours...they don't make them go home until it is 100.4

I have gotten calls when my son was in the clinic not feeling good with a 99.5 and told i could come get him or send him back to class. I went and got him, but he went back the next day.

Each school is different...if in question call your school nurse.

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