LICE TIPS

The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) reports that. “Head lice, while a significant social problem, do not transmit disease to humans.”

According to the Pennsylvania Department of Education, there is a legal basis for excluding and readmitting children to school in relation to specified diseases and infectious conditions. Provision "27.71 (11) specifically relates to Pediculosis humanis capitis (head lice) and provides for exclusion of students from school (public, private, parochial, Sunday, or other school or college or preschool) who have been diagnosed by a physician or are suspected of having Pediculosis by the school nurse.

Irvine’s policy deviates substantially and is the strictest one we found. It reads as such: “Any student found to have head lice, detected by a live louse or lice eggs (nits),will be removed from the classroom and excluded from attendance. The parent will receive written instructions on the treatment of head lice and a verification of treatment form that must be signed by the parent before the student can be readmitted.

Brandywine School District Brandywine schools have become more lenient with respect to allowing students to be in school with lice or nits. "The BSD lice management guidelines have been changed to reflect standard practice as recommended by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), American Academy of Pediatrics, the National Association of School Nurses, the American School Health Association, the Harvard School of Public Health,and many other policy making organizations.

According to the Ohio government web site: “The nursing profession is moving toward evidenced-based practices. Updated guidance from CDC, AAP and the National Association of School Nurses (NASN) should be incorporated into school policies. School nurses in each school district should collaborate with their local health departments and school administration to create and enforce consistent policy guidelines throughout the district.

Cleveland schools retain a “no nit” policy, although the initial day of diagnosis by the schools is a bit more lenient than some schools, as children with lice or nits may remain in school that day if the parent or guardian cannot be reached.

School Lice Policy Milwaukee, Wisconsin and Surrounding Areas School lice policies in the Milwaukee area vary. Some schools retain “no nit” policies, while others have loosened their criteria and allow students to return to school with nits after treatment.

Each state has its own guidelines regarding allowing children back into school with head lice or nits. Some schools have a “no nit” while other schools do not.

While there is no required school lice policy in Nassau County, Long Island, the county government web site recommends that children be kept at home “until after the first treatment”. Basically, each school comes up with its own policy. Some schools retain “no nit” policies whereby students with any sign of nits (eggs) are not permitted into schools, while others schools have more liberal policies which call for students to be treated and then they may enter school, even if they still have nits.

Michigan has government manual dedicated to head lice policy. School Lice Policy Detroit, Michigan and Surrounding Areas Michigan is the only state we have come across that has a government manual dedicated solely to head lice policy. Below are the policy recommendations and several school districts in suburban Detroit adhere to these: