LICE TIPS

Hartford schools no longer have a “no nit” policy as long as students have been treated for lice. “If live lice or nits appearing in close proximity to scalp or on clothing are observed the student is to be considered to have pediculosis. In this situation the Principal will exclude the student, and the nurse will instruct the parent or guardian on treatment procedures and precautions against spreading. The school nurse aide or Principal will notify parents immediately.

Memphis School Lice Policy The National Pediculosis Association (NPA) recommends a stringent “nit-free” policy for children returning to school after a lice infestation, according to its Web site, www.headlice.org. The association says that because head lice are becoming resistant to insecticide shampoos. It’s important to remove any remaining nits with a special fine-toothed comb before letting a child return to school.”

Montgomery County schools retain a “no nit” policy for all nits located closer than ½ from the scalp. If a student has nits (eggs) that are near the scalp and/or live bugs, that student is sent home and not permitted to return to school until he or she has been treated and there are no visible nits (within a half inch from the scalp) remaining in the hair.

Syracuse Schools allow students to remain in school after treatment for lice. There is no longer a “no nit” policy in place. The Syracuse Department of Health Services in working with students and staff regarding head lice aims to:

Schools in general send children home until they are lice and nit-free. As reported on the Hawaiian government site, "Should a person with head lice stay away from work or school?

Duval County, home of Jacksonville, Florida, has had a “no nit” policy in place since May of 1998. According to the district web site, “Students with nits (eggs) will now be excluded from school until they are nit-free.

The following information was sent out in The School Nurse Bulletin to all Connecticut school nurses in September 2010: “Head lice infestation is associated with limited morbidity, but causes a high level of anxiety among parents of school-aged children."

Sherry Marbury, state supervisor for the Alabama Department of Education, stated that she "does not expect the debate over how to handle head lice in schools to end any time soon." Schools across the country are becoming more lenient with respect to admission to school with lice or nits (eggs).

Los Angeles County Public School Lice Policies Several key medical organizations have recommended that schools drop “no nit” policies and even allow students with live bugs to stay in school until the end of the school day.

Each school district in Suffolk County is responsible for determining its own head lice policy. Some schools retain “no nit” policies (eggs) and send students home if the nurse finds one nit.