LICE TIPS

In the Dallas area many schools have dropped their “no nit” policies in accordance with recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control.

Unlike schools in the Nashville and Memphis area in Tennessee, Knoxville schools take a different approach to the head lice problem that is in accordance with the recommendations of the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The Tulsa Public School District eliminated its "no nit" policy a few years ago to the recommendations of the American Academy of Pediatrics and the National Association of School Nurses.

Albany’s Capital Region School Lice Policies The decision on school lice policies in Albany is left to individual school districts.

The Fort Myers area retains a “no nit” policy. Lee County Schools, in which Fort Myers is located, retains a “no nit” policy. Under this policy, students are not allowed to return to school until all nits or lice are removed from the student’s hair. The policy advocates that the checks be done “discreetly so that a student and/or parent is not embarrassed or otherwise victimized.” Lee County’s policy also states that the entire class should be checked when a student has nits or lice.

Department of Education and the Kentucky School Board Association now support recommendations that schools discontinue "no-nits" policies.

The New Jersey Department of Health advocates that children with nits should be allowed to remain in school and that “no nit” policies should be discouraged. Despite this, some districts in New Jersey continue to maintain “no nit” policies in an effort to discourage the spread of head lice within the school.

Head lice do not carry disease, and are not considered a public health threat. Cases of head lice do not need to be reported to the state or county health department.

In the Worcester area, as with many areas, school head lice policies are left up to the individual districts. Some districts have "no nit" policies, which prohibit children with lice eggs from returning to schools. Other schools have more lenient policies and allow children to return to school with nits, but not with live lice.

In some areas in the Tidewater region, school lice policies are becoming more lenient, while some still maintain “no nit” policies.