Pediculosis (Head Lice Policy)

Cannon County Board of Education

Review: Annually, Pediculosis (Head Lice)

No student will be denied an education solely by reason of head lice infestation and his educational program shall be restricted only to the extent necessary to minimize the risk of transmitting the infestation.

It shall be the responsibility of the principal, school nurse, or designee to notify the parents in the event a child has Pediculosis (head lice). A copy of board policy along with a copy of the “Treatment and Prevention of Head Lice” document will be sent home by the child to explain the condition, requirements for readmission and deadlines for satisfactory completion of the treatment.

Upon exclusion, satisfactory evidence must be submitted to school personnel that the student has been treated for pediculosis (head lice). This evidence may include but not be limited to:

1. Proof of treatment with a pediculicide product (head lice shampoo)

2. Satisfactory examination by a school health official, designee, or teacher/staff member

Treatment and prevention procedures will be developed by the director of school/school nurse and distributed to all classroom teachers.

Any subsequent incidents of head lice for that student during the school year will require submission of satisfactory evidence of treatment for head lice and be found free of live head lice and nits by a school health official or designee.

A student will be expected to have met all requirements for treatment and return to school no later than two (2) days following exclusion after being sent home for head lice. All days in excess of the allowable period will be marked as unexcused and referred to the attendance supervisor at the proper time.

DISCOVERY OF HEAD LICE

When head lice are discovered at school, the following steps are to be taken:

a. Immediately segregate the student from all other students

b. Contact the parent and request that the student be picked up immediately

c. Be sure to show the parent the evidence of infestation (live lice, nymphs, or nits)

d. Give parent the specified “Treatment and Prevention of Head Lice” information sheet and a copy of this policy.

e. Make it clear to the parent that all live lice and nits MUST be removed, the child be treated as specified on the “Treatment and Prevention of Head Lice” sheet, before the student will be permitted to re-enter school.

f. Inform the parent and student that when the student returns to school, the student must come directly to the office and may not go to the lunchroom or classroom or anywhere else within the building until approved for re-entry.

STEPS FOR RE-ENTRY

a. Require evidence of treatment; may be Health Department or doctor’s verification or box top, from pediculicide product.

b. Check the student to be sure that no live lice or nits remain.

ADDITIONAL CLASSROOM PROCEDURES

a. During periods of lice outbreak, students clothing should be kept separate by hanging the coats on chairs, in plastic bags, or other procedures. Hats and gloves should be in pockets or sleeves of jackets.

b. Sleeping mats for kindergarten students must be inspected and treated as necessary (Beware of chemicals!)

c. Instructional activities which place the heads or clothing of students in close proximity shall be altered temporarily.

d. Lice spray may not be used in schools except by a licensed exterminator (TCA 62-21-124).

CUSTODIAL PROCEDURES

a. During outbreak periods vacuum carpets each day as principal directs.

b. Other procedures identified by principal shall be completed on schedule.

TRAINING

As appropriate, based upon need, teachers and teacher assistants shall be provided in-service on the identification and treatment of lice infestation.

Treatment and Prevention of Head Lice

What are lice?

Lice, or Pediculosis (pe-dic-u-lo-sis), are small tan to grayish-white insects, about the size of a sesame seed, and have six legs. They don’t usually carry disease, but can cause your child and family discomfort, stress and sometimes skin irritation. Lice can live up to 30 days on a person’s head and lay from 50 to 150 eggs. To live, adult lice need to feed on blood every 3 to 6 hours. If the louse falls off a person, it dies within 2 days.

How do I know if my child has head lice and if so, how did they get it?

• Except in very light cases, itching is the first sign of head lice. Check your child’s head and scalp, especially behind the ears and near the neckline at the back of the neck when scratching begins.
• Look for the lice and their eggs or “nits.” You may see the nits before you find a louse because each louse can lay up to 150 at a time.
• If you know of another child with head lice, be alert that your child may contract lice, too. There is no incubation period. When live lice move from one child’s head to another; they are “home” and can begin laying eggs immediately.
• Children get head lice almost as much as the common cold. Millions get it at least once a year.
• Lice cannot hop, jump or fly but can crawl from child to child anytime children are close together; during play or sports or even nap time.
• Sharing combs, brushes, hair fasteners, hats, caps, coats, neck scarves and even head phones spreads them, too. Sharing a locker or cubbyhole with a lice-infested child is a common way to spread lice. If left behind, lice can attach to your child while sitting on carpets or furniture. Lice can even attach to stuffed toys.
• Children get lice more than teens or adults. ANY child can get head lice! It doesn’t matter where they live or go to school; how much money they have, or, if boy or girl, black, white or brown.
• A child isn’t sick or unclean if they have head lice. Taking baths won’t kill lice or keep children from getting lice. And, if a child has head lice, it certainly doesn’t mean they have bad parents.

How to treat head lice and how to keep it from coming back.

1. You can take care of your child’s head lice problem at home without a visit to the doctor or clinic. Treatment should be with shampoo or cream rinse approved by the FDA that can be purchased without a prescription at the drug store or grocery store. Carefully follow the directions on the lice treatment package. Not following directions is the biggest reason why it doesn’t work.

2. Comb out the nits left after treatments. Do this by sliding a nit up the hair shaft with your fingers or using a special nit comb available in the store where you bought the lice treatment.

3. After the first treatment, you may not see live lice but you might see nits. If the nits (or lice eggs) are attached to strands of hair ¼ inch or less from the scalp, they are probably not dead. This means live lice could still be living on your child’s head; or, soon will hatch from the remaining eggs. That’s why, after treatment, it is important to comb out (or pick out by hand) the nits left in your child’s hair with a special nit comb.

4. Nits are very tiny; about the size of a knot in a thread. They are shaped like a long football, yellow to white in color and are often mistaken for dandruff or hair spray droplets. They attach to a hair at the scalp with a waterproof, cement-like substance. That’s why they can be difficult to remove.

5. If your child has extra-long hair (longer than shoulder length), you may need to use a second bottle. Pay special attention to instructions on the bottle about how to thoroughly work it into the hair, how long the medication should be left on and whether rinsing the hair is recommended after treatment.