7:250 - Student Support Services

June 2019 7:250-AP1

Administrative Procedure - Measures to Control the Spread of Head Lice at School

Actor Action

School Nurse

Involves parent organization in the development and implementation of programs regarding prevention and treatment.

Provides information regarding control to staff, students, and parents/guardians. Information provided to parents/guardians may include that set forth in row 2, below.

Provides information material and/or in-service to school personnel on:

1. Confidentiality requirements

2. Identification

3. Preventing transmission in classrooms

4. Precautions against self-contamination and cross-contamination, e.g.,

a. Carpets should be vacuumed frequently

b. Cloth-covered stuffed animals, sleeping mats, pillows, sofas, and other stuffed furniture should be discouraged

5. Treatment and resources for treatment

6. Readmission requirements

7. Respect for sensitivity of students and parents/guardians regarding this condition

Parent/Guardian

Assists in preventing and managing head lice outbreaks by regularly checking their children’s hair and providing immediate treatment if lice are detected.

· Check your child’s hair and scalp regularly for eggs.

· Do not allow your child to use other children’s combs, brushes, hats, etc.

· If you find your child does have head lice and you decide to keep him or her out of school, please follow the school’s student absence procedures.

· Follow your family’s chosen protocol for treatment of the entire family. Both over-the-counter and prescription medications are available for treatment of lice.

· Hats, combs, brushes, and bed linens should be cleaned thoroughly. After the medicated shampoo, you can loosen the eggs with scalp rinses of vinegar, and then slide the eggs off the hair shaft with tweezers, a special fine tooth comb, or your fingernails.

· Review information from the Center for Disease Control (CDC) about Prevention and Control at:

www.cdc.gov/parasites/lice/head/prevent.html and Treatment FAQ at www.cdc.gov/parasites/lice/head/gen_info/faqs_treat.html.

Staff

To prevent the spread of head lice infestations, report all suspected cases of head lice to the school nurse or designee as soon as possible.

School Nurse

Inspects the head of any student reasonably suspected of having head lice as soon as possible.

Checks the siblings of any student with head lice and notifies other schools where siblings attend.

Checks any of the student’s contacts for the presence of lice.

Provides the student’s parent(s)/guardian(s) with information regarding head lice treatment.

If more than one student is affected in any class, determines whether to examine all students in the class and/or provides information about head lice to all parents/guardians of students in the class.

Building Principal

If eggs (nits) or lice are found, determines whether to exclude the student from attendance or limit the student’s head to head contact in the school building (especially in lower grades). Contacts the Board Attorney before beginning the process to exclude any student.

Informs the student’s parent(s)/guardian(s) about recommended treatment procedures and sources of further information.

Staff

Maintains the privacy of students identified as having head lice and excluded from attendance.

Parent/Guardian

Brings a note to school verifying treatment.

School Nurse

Examines any excluded student and verifies to the Building Principal that all eggs (nits) and lice are gone so that the student may return.

Note: Delete this row and/or the re-inspection (nit-free) requirement if the administration determines the requirement is (a) unnecessary to successfully manage head lice and/or (b) results in unnecessary absences. Many nit-free requirements may unnecessarily exclude students from school. School nurses should discuss the following pros and cons of No Nit Policies with their Building Principals and/or Superintendents:

Pros: A nit-free requirement simply eliminates any subjective call for school personnel as to whether the nit is dead or alive. The National Pediculosis Association recommends the No Nit Policy as the public health standard intended to keep children lice free, nit free, and in school, www.headlice.org/downloads/nonitpolicy.htm.

Cons: The National Association of School Nurses takes the position that the management of head lice should not disrupt the educational process. No disease is associated with head lice, and in-school transmission is considered to be rare. Further, when transmission occurs, it is generally found among younger-age children with increased head-to-head contact: www.nasn.org/nasn/advocacy/professional-practice-documents/position-statements/ps-head-lice.

Building Principal

Notifies parent(s)/guardian(s) whose excluded student has not returned to school within five days of the following:

School attendance laws

Action that may be taken if absence continues

Resources for treatment information