From Laurel Elementary Schools’ Handbook:
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When a student is confirmed to have live lice by the school nurse:
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The parent is notified and information related to detection and elimination of head lice provided in written form. Head Lice Info Sheet
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The student is not sent home from school, however if the parent offers to pick up the student, that is acceptable.
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The parent is instructed that the student should be treated and reexamined before returning to the classroom. See school nurse schedule for location of school nurse on duty.
Upon re-examination, if lice and/or nits are found, the parent is notified to keep nit-picking and combing (at least daily per day for the next two weeks.)
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When a student is found to have nits present (no live lice detected):
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The parent is notified and encouraged to nit-pick and comb (at least daily for two weeks)
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The student is not sent home from school.
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If future checks reveal an increased number of nits present, the parent will be contacted for follow-up and support.
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When to check beyond the identified student with live lice or nits:
If live lice or nits are detected in a student, it is best practice to:
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Determine if the student has siblings. If yes, then check the siblings in the immediate school.
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If the student has other siblings (not in the immediate school building), notify the parent/guardian of the advisability of checking family members and taking precautionary measures to avoid family infestation.
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Full classroom screenings for head lice are NOT routinely done. In some cases, the school nurse may use her professional judgment on an individual basis regarding further screenings.
“Studies have shown that control measures such as, mass screenings for nits, have not been shown to have a significant effect on the incidence of head lice in a school community, nor have they shown to be cost-effective” (Devore et al. 2015; Meinking & Taplin, 2011 CDC 2013a)
