Health Guidelines
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Illness at School and When to Keep Your Child At Home
School nurses play a critical role in maintaining the health and safety of schools. West Des Moines Community Schools (WDMCS) collaborates with the Iowa Department of Public Health (IDPH), Polk County Public Health Department (PCHD), and local health care professionals to provide guidelines that identify when it is safe for children to attend school.
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When to Stay or Go Home
Stay or go home if you have one or more of these symptoms:
- fever over 100.4
- headache
- new cough
- muscle aches/body aches
- shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
- new loss of taste or smell
- fatigue
- sore throat
- runny nose
- vomiting
- diarrhea
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COVID-19 Guidelines
All individuals, including students, staff, and visitors, are encouraged to follow CDC guidance regarding face masks.
Guidance for individuals who test positive for COVID-19
- Contact your school nurse for guidance.
- Individuals must isolate themselves at home from days 0-5. Day 0 is the first day of symptoms, or the day of the positive test if no symptoms have developed.
- Individuals may return after 5 days, if:
- they are fever-free for 24 hours without the use of fever-reducing medications;
- their symptoms improving; and
- they wear a mask for days 6-10 when around other people. If the individual tests negative twice (at least 48 hours apart) between days 6-10, then the mask can be removed before day 10.
Learn more on the CDC's website >
Guidance for individuals who are exposed to a positive COVID-19 case
- Individuals should mask when around other people for a total of 10 days. Testing is recommended on or after day five.
- If the initial test is negative, the individual is encouraged to test again 48 hours after the first test.
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General Illness Guidelines
If your student is ill, contact your school nurse prior to returning to school. Further guidance or clearance from a health care provider may be necessary before they can return to the classroom.
Students with a diagnosed illness other than COVID-19 may return to school:
- After 24 hours without fever with no fever-reducing medications AND
- Other symptoms are improving.
Students with the following symptoms must remain home or be sent home from school:
- Fever, vomiting, or diarrhea in the last 24 hours.
- Persistent nasal congestion, reddened eyes, sore throat, persistent cough, or headaches.
- Unexplained and/or undiagnosed skin rashes.
- Any other health condition that may impact the health and well-being of the student and others, as determined by the school nurse.
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Communicating About Illness
To minimize the spread of illness, report contagious diseases to the school nurse.
- Contagious diseases: COVID-19, influenza, measles, whooping cough, hepatitis A, tuberculosis, chickenpox, etc.
The school nurse or another school representative will contact you if your child becomes ill or seriously injured at school.
- It is very important to provide an emergency contact and keep it updated throughout the year. If a parent/guardian cannot be reached, other individuals listed on the emergency form will be contacted.
- Students must be picked up within one hour after being contacted unless arrangements have been made with the school nurse or administrator.
- Contagious diseases: COVID-19, influenza, measles, whooping cough, hepatitis A, tuberculosis, chickenpox, etc.
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Medications
If it is necessary for your child to take medication at school, please observe the medication process in effect for the West Des Moines Community Schools.
- If your child needs to take a medication at school, please contact your school nurse to set up an appointment time to bring in the medication and fill out the medication administration form. Printable versions of the daily, as-needed (PRN), and asthma medication forms can be found on our Health Forms web page.
- Nebulizers are not recommended to be used at school this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This is consistent with the national guidelines to reduce the spread of respiratory droplets/aerosols. All asthma medications need to be administered via metered-dose inhaler or dry powder inhaler. A holding chamber/spacer is recommended. A current prescription for the inhaler is required, per the WDMCS medication policy.
- The Health Office must have a written daily or as-needed authorization form from the parent/guardian. Please include the student’s name, name of medication, amount to be given, time of medication is to be given, reason for the medication, and parent/guardian signature.
- The medication must be in the original current container (NO plastic bags or envelopes with loose pills).
- The directions on the medication container must match the parent authorization.
ALL medications (prescription and over-the-counter) must be kept in the Health Office at all times. The only exception to this policy is if a student has authorization to self-administer asthma or epinephrine auto-injection medication.
Health Fact Sheets
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Student Insurance
Parents and/or guardians are responsible for their children’s medical costs even if the child is injured while at school. The school does not carry individual accident insurance on students. The state of Iowa provides health insurance for uninsured children.
