Health/Safety/Welfare Washington County School District - Adopted 9-9-03
To establish policy and procedures in managing lice infestation in the school.
Students attending Washington County School District schools confirmed to be infested with head lice and/or nits located at the scalp to within 1/2 inch of the scalp will be excluded from school until treatment and removal of the nits from within 1/2 inch of the scalp.
3.1. Lice teams will be created within schools where the support is available through PTA members or other volunteers. The school nurse will be contacted to provide training for new lice teams.3.1.1. Each school will schedule lice inspections as deemed necessary and according to the available volunteers.3.2. A student identified with head lice and/or nits located at the scalp to 1/2 inch of the scalp will be excluded from school at the end of the school day.
3.2.1. Siblings of the student will, also, be examined for infestation and excluded according to the above criteria.3.2.2. Every effort will be made to preserve the dignity of the student.
3.3. The parent will be notified as soon as possible and provided with the needed educational materials to assist them in the removal of the infestation from family members and their home environment.
3.3.1. The parent will be encouraged to return the child/children back to school on the following school day, as long as the head lice and/or nits located at the scalp to 1/2 inch of the scalp have been removed.3.4 Staff, students, and volunteers who may have been at-risk of lice infestation due to close contact with the student/students infested will be notified and provided with education materials upon request.
3.5. The custodian will be informed of the need to clean the floors, furniture, and carpeting within the classroom/classrooms attended by lice and/or nit infested students.
3.6. If the student/students do not return to school within a timely manner after exclusion, contact will be made by the school to inquire of the reason and to offer support to the family.
3.6.1. If the student/students do not return to school after contact by school authorities, the District nurse will contact the parents to determine further support needed.3.6.2. If the lice infestation continues and/or the child is not returned to school after supportive efforts are provided, the District nurse and the school principal will determine the necessity for Child and Protective Service involvement based upon medical neglect (failure to treat the student) and/or educational neglect (needlessly keeping the student out of school).
Distribution: Board Members, Superintendent, Associations, Assistant Superintendents, Administrators and Principals.