Head Lice Update
Head Lice causes infestation of the scalp/hair, but do not carry disease and are not a public health threat.
Educating parents and staff is the key to prevention and the control of head lice. Emphasis on low transmissions rates in school and how important it is for parents to play a role in the prevention and control of lice outbreaks.
Students who are identified with an active case of head lice will be excluded from school. Parents will be given a handout on head lice management and the student must see the school nurse upon re-entry to school to confirm they are lice free.
The students identified by the nurse as having head lice will not be shared with other school staff unless there is a legitimate educational reason that they need to be. Their names will never be shared with other parents.
When a student is sent home with an active case of head lice, the nurse will send home a letter alerting other parents in that classroom.
If two or more cases of active head lice are found by the nurse in the same classroom within 7 to 10 days apart, the nurse will check the entire class. The determination of how often this would continue, depending on the grade level of students, will be made in conjunction with the nursing supervisor.
Students who have been identified as having nits will be sent back to class and their parents will be notified. The parent may request the student to be sent home early for treatment. The nurse will send home a lice information sheet as well as requesting that the parent come to the school so that the nurse could show the parent what the nits look like and she will encourage that manual removal is the best way to remove nits. If a parent calls the nurse and requests that she check the child’s head, that parent too, must come in to be educated on what active lice and nits look like, as well as proper removal techniques.
Teacher’s may also request a child’s head to be checked if there was a prior case of active lice in that classroom,especially if the child is complaining of an itchy head. Head lice screening will always be given a lower priority in the nurse’s office over the care needed for illness or injuries
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