When a potential outbreak, including those involving exposure to a communicable disease, toxic agent, environmental hazard, or a potential epidemic is identified, immediate notification to the Maine CDC should be made. One of the ways these outbreaks can be identified is through elevated school absenteeism. Schools have long partnered with the Maine Center for Disease Control (MeCDC) to report elevated absentee rates (>15%). The Department of Education and MeCDC have collaborated to design this application in NEO to collect this information more efficiently. School nurses have be given access to the reporting tool. If your school unit decides that it would be appropriate for another person to submit this report, you will need to fill out a NEO access request form located on the DOE Data Helpdesk page. http://www.maine.gov/doe/data/helpdesk.html