CEDAR PARK PEDIATRIC & FAMILY MEDICINE SCHOOL NOTE POLICY 

2021-2022 School Year 

Cedar Park Pediatric & Family Medicine, in compliance with CDC and local health department recommendations, will require COVID-19 screening for those families in need of a school note clearing their child to return to school or daycare. Due to the wide variety of symptoms children who test positive for COVID-19 are presenting with, the physicians at Cedar Park Pediatric & Family Medicine will maintain a strict policy around providing these notes. This policy will supersede any individual school, daycare, or school district policy. We understand that these are challenging times for families. This policy is written with the intention of providing the safest way for us to help clear your children to return to a public environment. 

A return to school note will be provided based on the following: 

• Child presents with symptoms that may be associated with COVID-19: 
• A COVID-19 Rapid Antigen test must be performed and a return to school date will be provided based on the results, symptoms, and exposure history. 
• Reminder: the COVID-19 Rapid Antigen test is very similar in process to a flu test that many of your children have received in the past. It is a simple swab inside the nose that is not excessively painful. 
• Many schools require an alternative diagnosis. Many times this is simply not possible. An alternative diagnosis will only be provided if it is clearly not COVID-19. 
• Illnesses such as RSV, strep, and seasonal allergies are not mutually exclusive of COVID. We are seeing many cases of multiple infections in the same child. Positive results of one of these illnesses may still not be sufficient for our physicians to clear your child to return to school. 
• School notes will be sent electronically through the portal. Please ensure that you have access to the patient portal, a member of our front desk team will be happy to help you set this up if you do not. 
• If you think you may need a school note for any reason, please ask before you leave the office. We cannot guarantee speed of delivery for school notes that are not received on the day of the visit. 

A few important reminders: 

• A positive COVID-19 test, regardless of the type of test, is considered a positive test. If you decide to test your children with an at-home test and you receive a positive result, the CDC recommended quarantine guidelines must be followed. 
• We will only retest a child after receiving a positive test once they are outside of their 10 day isolation period AND a retest is required for clearance back to school or activities. 

Thank you for your patience and understanding.