Each PPS school and program has a 2023-2024 Communicable Disease Management Plan outlining mitigation measures to protect students and staff against communicable diseases, including but not limited to COVID-19.

• Please notify the school if your child is diagnosed with a CONTAGIOUS DISEASE, including these: chickenpox (varicella), diarrhea caused by E. coli or Salmonella or Shigella, hepatitis, measles, mumps, whooping cough (pertussis), rubella, scabies, tuberculosis, or another disease as requested. The school will protect your private information as required by law. [OAR 333-019-0010; ORS 433.008.] 

• Public health authorities no longer require staff, students or families to report positive tests for COVID-19.

• Please notify the school if your student requires MEDICATIONS during school hours. Follow school protocols for medication at school. If your student’s illness requires antibiotics, the student must have been on antibiotics for at least 24 hours before returning to school, and longer in some cases. Antibiotics are not effective for viral illnesses. 

• Please notify the school if your student has an UNDERLYING OR CHRONIC HEALTH CONDITION. We will work with you to address the health condition so that the student can learn. With consent, the school nurse may consult with the student’s health care provider about the health condition and necessary treatments. To contact the school nurse or health office please call or email your school.

• Building administrators and school nurses track reports of diagnosed diseases and unusual levels of absences related to illness by completing a Communicable Disease Information Form (SCIF). 

• The Multnomah Education Services District (MESD) Communicable Disease Support Team reviews the SCIF and consults with Multnomah County Health Department (MCHD) about reportable communicable diseases and unusual absenteeism related to illness. 

• In addition, MCHD evaluates:

  • The risk for other children exposed to the ill child, including classmates and siblings.

  • The risk for unvaccinated children and staff at the child’s school.

• MCHD advises PPS if other children and/or staff must also be kept home from school and for how long. PPS works out a plan with families to maintain the student’s schooling if they are out of school for an extended period.

• Students, families and staff should stay home when they are sick. 

• This Excludable Symptoms Chart provides information about when someone should not come to school or work (excludable symptoms) and when they might return to school/work once those symptoms get better or go away. More information is available in these ODE/OHA Communicable Disease Exclusion Guidelines.

• Please contact your health care provider about any SERIOUS ILLNESS or if you are worried about your student’s health. If you need help in finding a health care provider, you may contact the local public health authority.

• It is not necessary for you to report the positive test result to your school.

• If you are infected with COVID-19, you do not need to isolate yourself for a set number of days. However, you should be aware that you can get others sick. If you have COVID-19:
  • Stay home until you have not had a fever for 24 hrs without using fever-reducing medication and other COVID-19 symptoms are improving.
  • Avoid contact with high-risk individuals like people who live in congregate care facilities or people with immunocompromised conditions for 10 days.
  • Mask when you are around other people in the 10 days after you become sick or test positive.

• If you have a severe case, are hospitalized or are severely immunocompromised, please follow the recommendations above, avoid contact with high-risk people and mask for 10-20 days. Please contact your healthcare provider for advice on how long to isolate.
  
  Source: OHA COVID-19 Updates