Head Lice Information

 

Head lice are harmless and do not carry any disease. They are not a health hazard or a sign of poor hygiene, but they can be a nuisance. Lice cannot jump, hop or fly. They are spread by head to head contact. Sharing clothing, combs, brushes or hats can also pass them along to another person.  Children are most prone to get head lice because they tend to have close physical contact with each other and often share personal items. Please remind your child they should not share combs, brushes, hats or other clothing.

 

Live lice are gray to brownish in color, about the size of a flea, and look like a tiny crab.  Nits are tiny, teardrop shaped transparent eggs that are attached tightly to the hair and cannot be removed without sliding the nit down the hair shaft. The nits are found usually at the nape of the neck, behind the ears, on the crown of the head and close to the scalp.  Dandruff or dry scalp flakes can be easily brushed away.

 

If your child is identified with lice, the school nurse will give you information on treatment options.  All students with head lice must be excluded from school and remain at home until treatment is completed and all visible evidence of lice or eggs (nits) is removed. No child will be readmitted to school unless first checked by a district representative in the school office. A parent or guardian should accompany their child when they return to school.

 

For privacy reasons, a student with head lice will not be identified to staff or other students, except staff that provide re-checks and re-entry to school. For the same reasons, letters will not be sent to the parents of a class for a single case of lice in that class. When there are three or more students in a classroom with lice who don’t have close contact except at school, within a consecutive two-week period, the whole class will be screened. We send a letter home with students to the parents of that class, since transmission within the class is possible. Letters are sent only to the parents of the class involved. Remember, transmission can only happen with head to head contact or sharing items that have contacted the head such as combs, brushes, or hats.

 

 Head Lice Procedure

Lake Washington School District #414

HEALTH SERVICES

HEAD LICE (PEDICULOSIS) PROCEDURE

DISTRICT POLICY TO PREVENT SPREAD OF HEAD LICE:

 

  1. The school secretary will notify a district nurse when a case or suspected case of head lice has been reported or identified. If the student is found to have head lice, he or she will be sent home until treatment for the head lice has been completed and all nits have been removed.
     
  1. The infested student’s sibling will be checked. If siblings are found to have head lice, they will also be sent home.
     
  1. The nurse will follow state guidelines in checking a class room if there is evidence of an outbreak.   An outbreak is defined as 3 or more students with head lice with no close contact except at school, within a consecutive two week period.
     
  1. A district letter will be sent home with any student found to be infested. The nurse may also send information about head lice and directions for treatment and elimination. (Included in this section)
     
  1. Once a class room has been checked for head lice by a district nurse, a letter will be sent home to all parents directing them what to look for and prevention steps to be taken.
     
  1. Children with infestation should be kept out of school until properly treated. Removal of all nits before readmission to school is required.
     
  1. NO CHILD WILL BE READMITTED TO SCHOOL UNLESS FIRST CHECKED BY A DISTRICT REPRESENTATIVE IN THE SCHOOL HEALTH ROOM.  AN ADULT SHOULD ACCOMPANY STUDENTS WHEN THEY RETURN TO SCHOOL.
     
  1. Students with head lice should not be identified to other students or staff (except staff who will provide rechecks for reentry to school.)
     
  1. Keep record of the incidences of head lice on the Head Lice Log (included in this section.) The log will be kept in the school office in a secure location.