Per Policy 8454: Management of Pediculosis, public schools have a responsibility to assist parents in controlling and preventing the spread of communicable disease. The district nurse has certain authorities for communicable and “nuisance” disease control in the school environment. Careful observation by all personnel and parents will help minimize the spread of head lice.
Procedure: Early in each school year, the school administration shall send home to parent/guardians/caregivers information regarding the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of head lice. Parents will be encouraged to help prevent the spread of head lice by being more informed and conducting routine head checks on their children. Children should be referred to their home physician when live lice are found.
1.) To help prevent the spread of head lice infestations, school employees shall report all suspected cases of head lice to the school nurse. The nurse shall examine the student. An infestation shall be determined by looking closely through the hair and scalp for nits or live lice.
2.) If nits are found but there are no live (crawling) lice on the hair, the nurse shall re-inspect daily for 5 school days. Montclair Public School nurses may use their own discretion in deciding whether to exclude students found to have numerous nits very close (1/4 inch) to the scalp. The student may return to the classroom if there are no live lice.
3.) If an active infestation is present/guardian/caregiver (based on the presence of live lice or numerous nits less than 1/4 inch from the scalp) the parent/guardian/caregiver shall be notified to arrange pick up of their child from school. The parent/guardian/caregiver shall be provided information on the biology of head lice, methods to eliminate infestations, and directions to examine household contacts for lice and nits.
4.) The school nurse shall then examine the affected student’s siblings, if any and others likely to have had close head-to-head contact, such as playmates and classmates.
5.) Affected students must bring a note from the parent/guardian/caregiver verifying treatment as soon as possible after notification. Before readmittance to the classroom, the school nurse will examine the student’s head for live lice.
6.) If no live lice are found, the student may return to the classroom. If nits are found, the school nurse shall periodically reinspect the student for the presence of live lice.
7.) The school nurse shall educate parents/guardians/caregivers on the importance of ongoing daily combing with a metal nit comb until lice and nits are completely eradicated.
8.) The school nurse will review methods of control with the classroom teachers. Staff shall maintain the privacy of students identified as having head lice.
Additional information and resources pertaining to head lice may be found on the district’s Head Lice webpage.