DISTRICT 101 LICE PROCEDURES

Provide educational information regarding head lice via district web site.
Send the student home for treatment as soon as lice are identified at school.
Check siblings of students identified with head lice.
Discontinue classroom and grade level mass checks. Group or mass checks should only be done if a group function has been reported (Indian Princesses, sleepovers, parties, etc.)
Classroom letters will be sent to elementary classroom families, stating that a case of head lice has been identified in their child’s grade. Treatment instructions and general information will be included.
The identified student will be checked upon to return to school after treatment and for up to 7 days until all nits are removed. The nurse is given the option to send the student home if a copious amount of nits (over 20) cannot be removed within the first 1⁄2 hour of the school day.

LICE FACTS

The following are some facts about head lice which may be beneficial in understanding this condition. This information has been retrieved from reports published by the Center for Disease Control and the American Academy of Pediatrics.

Head lice can be a nuisance but have not been shown to spread disease. Personal hygiene or cleanliness in the home or school has nothing to do with getting head lice.
Nits are glued to the hair shaft by a cement-like substance and are very hard to remove. They are very unlikely to be transferred to other people.
Misdiagnosis of nits is very common during nit checks conducted by non-medical personnel.
Head lice are spread through direct head-to-head contact. The lice do not hop, jump or fly. Although spread through hats or helmets is possible, it is rare. It is more common for transmission to occur from pillows, hairbrushes or sheets.
All household members of the person identified with head lice should be checked and those with live lice or nits should be treated. The treatment should be a safe lice shampoo, free of harmful chemicals, readily available without a prescription, easy to use and inexpensive.
There is no clinical evidence of the effectiveness of alternative home treatments.
Washing, soaking or drying items at temperatures greater than 130 degrees F will kill stray lice or nits. Furniture, carpeting, car seats and other fabrics or fabric covered items can be vacuumed.

For more information visit the following websites:

Western Springs School District 101