LICE TIPS

It’s the scourge all teachers and parents dread, haunting elementary schools, striking swiftly and unexpectedly. In a matter of days, it can infect all the children in a room.

Silver Springs district, like most of those surrounding, maintains a “no nit” lice policy. Children with lice or eggs will be sent home from school. School Policies: Experts report than even after using lice-killing treatment, 10-30% of the nits might survive. Hatching will occur in 7-10 days, and could result in reinfestation. Please understand that since it is difficult to distinguish dead nits from live eggs, we cannot be certain whether treated heads have become re-infested. As such, our policy is that no child may return to school until all nits (dead or alive) have been removed.

Students with viable nits are not permitted to stay in school. “Students will be checked for head lice by the school nurse when demonstrating symptoms of infestation. Parents of students with live lice or an active infestation will be asked to pick up their child as soon as possible to begin the treatment process. The student may return to school only after the hair has been treated appropriately and the parent presents proof of treatment.” Source Williamson County BOE LiceDoctors understands how hair-raising it can be when your child is not readmitted to school due to head lice.

Itchy scalp? It could be lice or dandruff. Discover key symptoms, causes, and treatment options for both conditions. Get professional insights from LiceDoctors.

Potomac Schools maintain a “no nit” policy. Students with viable nits will be sent home from school. “A student is considered to have infestation with head lice if live lice and/or viable nits (those that are closer than ½ inch from the scalp) are observed. Students with infestation are excluded from school to obtain treatment with a pediculocide in order to prevent spreading lice to other students. Health care providers are a resource for treatment. Removal of nits located ½ inch or more from the scalp is recommended to avoid identification confusion.

Lewisville Public Schools Lewisville public schools, which include students from Flower Mound, allow students to return to school as soon as they have been treated once for head lice. Children will not be prohibited from entering after treatment if there are only nits left in the hair. “Head lice is a HUGE nuisance but is not life threatening. It can affect all sorts of people and is time consuming to treat completely. LISD does have a protocol for lice.

Schools in Portsmouth, Virginia have a “no nit” lice policy, but are becoming more lenient with respect to allowing students with nits to return to school if they are being treated. The district sends kids home with live lice, but if they have nits that are not close to the scalp, occasionally, they are allowed to remain and are expected to be treated at home. The official policy is as stated, “Our school system enforces a "no nit" policy. No student will be allowed in schools as long as any evidence of head lice (adult lice or nits (eggs) remains in his/her hair.

Newport News schools maintain a “no nit” school lice policy. Students who have any signs of head lice, including eggs, will be sent home from school. They will be readmitted after they have been treated and there are no signs of nits.

If you are like many parents, you may be minding your own business when you notice your child scratching his head. A light bulb goes off and you go and check to see if you see any unwanted signs of head lice. Right there in front of your face, you see a bug crawl out of the hair. After you have recovered from a heart attack, you run to get the clippers or scissors to shave or cut your child’s hair. Before you do that you check your daughter and she has it also! What is a busy parent to do? Shaving or cutting your child’s hair may be overkill and can produce lasting trauma in some children. Before you grab the razor, read below to find out more about short hair and buzz cuts and the impact, or lack of impact, they have on head lice.