Students with head lice infestations will be excluded from school only to the minimum extent necessary for treatment. To avoid the unnecessary exclusion of students from school, the administration provides the following procedure: 

1.    Schools will not perform routine schoolwide head lice screening. However, should multiple cases be reported, the nurse will identify the population of students most likely to have been exposed and arrange to have that population of students examined.

2.    If the school nurse staff or teacher discovers head lice or nits on a student, the parent/guardian of that student will be notified, and other students who reside with the infected student will also be checked.

3.    The school nurse will instruct the parent/guardian concerning various shampoos, sprays and other appropriate treatments that can be purchased to eliminate head lice and nits and will also give information concerning necessary procedures to be taken in the home to ensure that the head lice are eliminated.

4.    Once a student has been treated, the student, accompanied by the parent, will have the nursing staff complete a head check. If no live lice are found, the student can return to class. If live lice are found, the student will be sent home for additional treatment. This process will continue until the student is free of live head lice.

5.    Head checks will be completed on a weekly basis until the infected student is free of all live lice and nits.

6.    A student who was identified as having nits but not a live head lice infestation will be re-examined within five (5) calendar days of the initial identification. If this examination reveals nits are still present, the parent/guardian will again be instructed on treatment options. This process will repeat until the student is free of nits.

7.    Head checks will be completed by the school's nursing staff. The school nurse will keep accurate and confidential records of students infected with head lice or nits.

8.    If it appears the parent/guardian of an infested student is failing to secure timely treatment for the infestation after having been given notice of the existence of head lice or nits in accordance with these procedures, the nurse will notify the school principal, who may report the matter to the Children's Division (CD) of the Department of Social Services.

The district nurse will develop education programs regarding the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of head lice to be distributed as necessary.