LICE TIPS

Schools in Port St. Lucie have a "no nit" policy, which means that if a child has lice eggs he or she will be sent home from school.

Some schools in Bergen County and Hudson County allow students to return to school with nits after they have been treated, while others have “no nit” policies. Key medical organizations have recommended that students be allowed to return with lice eggs because they were missing too much school for a condition that these organizations consider to be a nuisance but not a health hazard.

In the Pittsburgh, PA area there is variety in the head lice policy among schools. While many schools leave the policy decision to the school principal, the Pittsburgh Public Schools Early Childhood Education Center has a "no nits policy" calling for children with head lice to be removed from school.

Many districts in the Grand Rapids, Michigan vicinity retain "no nit" school lice policies, a policy that prevents students from returning to school until their heads are clear of eggs. despite the state and national standards that discourage the practice as overly penal. The Michigan Association of School Nurses also recommends against a no nit policy.

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.