NORTHFIELD BOARD OF EDUCATION FILE CODE: 5141.2
Northfield, New Jersey
Regulation
ILLNESS
A. Detection of Communicable Diseases
1. Teachers will be trained to detect the first signs of communicable diseases in students and the recognized measures for the promotion of health and the prevention of disease.
2. In general, a student who shows one or more of the following symptoms should be sent to the school nurse for evaluation and/or treatment:
a. Pain, generalized or specific,
b. Chills,
c. Fever,
d. Earache,
e. Vomiting,
f. Sore throat,
g. Enlarged glands,
h. Skin eruption,
- Running nose, or
j. Red and discharging eyes.
3. A student who shows symptoms of any of the following communicable diseases should be sent promptly to the school nurse for evaluation.
a. Chicken pox: small reddish, itchy eruptions on the skin resembling pimples or blisters, which later fill with fluid and form crusts; slight fever.
b. German measles (rubella): a common cold followed by a light red rash on face and body; small beady lumps behind ears; slight fever.
c. Measles (rubeola): cold, runny nose, watery and light-sensitive eyes, fever, followed by bluish-white specks (Koplik spots) on inside of mouth, red blotchy rash, and dry cough.
d. Mumps: tenderness and swelling of the salivary glands below and a little in front of the ear; fever.
e. Streptococcal infections (including scarlet fever, sore throat, and erysipelas): Sudden onset of fever, sore throat, strawberry tongue, followed by bright red rash on body, usually on the inner arm and thigh.
f. Whooping cough (pertussis): A common cold, with irritating cough, followed by repeated series of violent coughs without inhaling, often with respiratory whoops. Cough may end with vomiting.
g. Fifth disease (erythema infectiosum): Fine rash that is most apparent on the cheeks and later spreads to arms and legs, low grade fever.
h. Pink eye (conjunctivitis): Redness of white areas of eyes, accompanied by some itching; eyes may discharge pus and be light sensitive.
i. Head lice (pediculosis): Itching scalp, presence of lice and nits at hair roots.
j. Impetigo (staphylococcus infection): Lesions.
k. Meningitis-meningococcal: Severe headache, chills, vomiting, convulsions, fever, stiff neck, pain in neck.
l. Hepatitis infectious: Fever, anorexia, nausea, malaise, abdominal discomfort, followed by jaundice.
4. Any person who is ill or infected with any disease below and as outlined in N.J.A.C. 8:57-1.3 or any reportable communicable disease, whether confirmed or presumed will be reported immediately by the school Principal to the County Health Officer or to the New Jersey Department of Health if the County Health Officer is not available. Such telephone report will be followed up by a written report or electronic report within twenty-four hours of the initial report. The diseases to be immediately reported are:
a. Botulism (Clostridium);
b. Diphtheria (Corynebacterium diphtheriae);
c. Haemophilus influenzae, invasive disease;
d. Hepatitis A, institutional settings;
e. Measles;
f. Meningoccal disease (Neisseria menengitidis);
g. Pertussis (whooping cough, bordetella pertussis);
h. Plague (Yersinia pestis);
i. Poliomyelitis;
j. Rabies (human illness);
k. Rubella;
l. Viral hemorrhagic fevers, including, but not limited to, Ebola Lassa, and Marburg viruses;
m. Foodborne intoxications, including, but not limited to, mushroom poisoning;
n. Any foodborne, waterborne, nosocomial, outbreak or suspected outbreak or any outbreak or suspected outbreak of unknown origin;
o. Any other disease included in N.J.A.C. 8:57-1.3.
B. Exclusion From School
- A student who exhibits any symptoms described in A2 or whose condition suggests the presence of a communicable disease as described in A3 or A4 will be sent to the school nurse’s office. The teacher will insure that the student is accompanied by an adult or responsible student.
2. The teacher will communicate to the school nurse, directly or by written note, the reason for which the student is sent for medical assessment.
3. The school nurse will examine the student and, in consultation with the school physician if the student’s condition so indicates, recommend to the Principal the student’s exclusion from school for medical reasons.
4. In the event neither the school nurse or the school physician is available to be consulted about the student’s condition, the Principal may determine to exclude the student from school.
5. The parent/guardian, adult family member, or other responsible adult designated by the parent will be promptly notified by telephone of the students’ exclusion and requested to come to school to remove the student. Until the adult arrives to remove the student, the student will be kept in an isolated location in the school and will be made as comfortable as possible. The student will be supervised at all times by a school staff member. Any student excluded from school due to fever greater than 100° F must be fever free for at least 24 hours before returning to school.
C. Readmission to School
1. A student who has been excluded from school or retained at home by reason of having or being suspected of having a reportable communicable disease shall not be readmitted to school until the student presents written evidence that he/she is free of the communicable disease.
2. Evidence that a student is free of communicable disease will consist of the certification of the school medical physician or another qualified physician who has personally examined the student.
No student who has had a reportable communicable disease will be readmitted to school until a physician’s certificate indicating the symptoms of the disease have ceased has been provided to the Principal or designee or the school nurse.
D. Reports
1. The school nurse will file such reports as may be required by the New Jersey State Department of Health and in the reporting of communicable diseases in schools.
2. When the rate of school absenteeism is in excess of fifteen percent, the school nurse shall report the absenteeism to the local and/or the County Board of Health.
3. The principal may inform the parents/guardians of students in a class that a student in the class has contracted a communicable disease. The information given to parents/guardians may include the specific symptoms of the disease and parents/guardians may be encouraged to consult their personal physicians for inoculations that may prevent the disease or ease the symptoms of the disease.
Adopted: October 20, 2008
Updated: October 2017; April 2020
Also see regulation for policy 5141, Health Regulations