Lice at School

Can a single nit (lice egg) keep your child out of school? The answer used to be “yes”. Today, many schools across the country are dropping their “no nit” policies. Why is this happening?

At LiceDoctors, we often get calls from school nurses, directors, or other personnel at local schools who are completely fed-up with the seemingly endless task of eliminating a head lice outbreak. It is not unusual for us to hear a parent or school administrator (especially from preschools) say that she or he has disinfected the entire classroom (or house) with lice disinfectant sprays and yet the lice infestation persists. “Do you do lice fumigation, or can you recommend a pesticide for head lice in classrooms?” they ask wearily. We try to gently explain that, although their efforts are valiant, they will be in vain until they start asking the right questions...

As students begin to return to classrooms, lice are beginning to make a resurgence. In some schools occasional cases are cropping up, while other schools are already dealing with full-blown outbreaks.