PS 437.1
Children deemed by school personnel to have head lice should be dealt with in such a manner as to avoid undue embarrassment of the child and yet provide protection to classmates and other staff members. Parents or guardians are responsible to treat head lice on their children and other infested family members residing in the home.
In order to protect classmates and faculty members the following steps will be taken.
- Parents or guardian of a student determined by the school nurse or designee to have head lice will be notified by the principal that they must pick up their child from school and begin a prescribed treatment for that child and other siblings. Head lice are communicable through direct contact or shared articles of clothing, bedding or furniture, therefore the school nurse or a trained designee will check every student in a classroom where a student is found to be infected.
- Parents will be given written information on removing nits, using special shampoo and cleaning their home, including clothes, bedding, carpet and toys.
- The teacher of the identified child will be informed by the principal or designee as soon as possible.
- Re-admittance of the infested child to school will occur when the student is found to be nit free by the principal, school nurse, or designee. The child may return to school 24 hours after the first treatment. In any case, absence from school should not exceed 3 days.
- Other parents will be notified if their child is in a class where head lice are detected. The entire grade level will be notified when three unrelated cases of head lice are confirmed the same day. The entire school will receive written notification if cases of head lice are confirmed in different grade levels.
In the instance that a parent or guardian cannot be located, the child will remain in school and perform appropriate activities planned by the administration.
