Lice (Pediculosis) 

The HHSD believes that the management of pediculosis (infestation by head lice) should not disrupt the educational process. No disease is associated with head lice, and in-school transmission is considered to be rare. When transmission occurs, it is generally found among younger-age children. 

The school nurse will contact the parents of a child found to have live head lice. Any child with live head lice will be sent home from school. Specific instructions regarding treatment and monitoring of head lice will be discussed with the parent picking up the child. Parents will bring their child directly to the nurse’s office on the day after treatment to be checked and cleared by the school nurse. Students with “nits only” should not be excluded from school, although further monitoring for signs of re-infestation is appropriate. It may be appropriate to screen other children who have close head-to-head contact with a student with an active infestation, such as household family members. At the discretion of the school nurse, students will be screened, monitored and checked on a case-by-case basis. Classroom-wide and school-wide screening is not merited.

The school nurse will send home a parent notification letter to the affected student’s classroom.