The Board of Trustees recognizes that head lice infestations among students require treatment but do not pose a risk of transmitting disease. The Superintendent or designee shall encourage early detection and treatment in a manner that minimizes disruption to the educational program and reduces student absences.
The Superintendent or designee may distribute information to parents/guardians of preschool and elementary students regarding routine screening, symptoms, accurate diagnosis, and proper treatment of head lice infestations. The Superintendent or designee also may provide related information to school staff.
(cf. 4131 - Staff Development)
(cf. 4231 - Staff Development)
School employees shall report all suspected cases of head lice to the school nurse or designee as soon as possible.
If a student is found with active, adult head lice, he/she shall be allowed to stay in school until the end of the school day. The parent/guardian of any such student shall be given information about the treatment of head lice and encouraged to begin treatment of the student immediately and to check all members of the family. The parent/guardian also shall be informed that the student shall be checked upon return to school the next day and allowed to remain in school if no active head lice are detected.
Upon the student's return to school, the school nurse or designee shall check the student for active head lice. If it is determined that the student remains infected with head lice, the school nurse or designee shall contact the student's parent/guardian to discuss treatment. As needed, he/she may provide additional resources and/or referral to the local health department, health care providers, or other agencies.
(cf. 5141.3 - Health Examinations)
(cf. 5141.6 - School Health Services)
If a student is found consistently infested with head lice, he/she may be referred to a multidisciplinary team, which may consist of the school nurse, representatives from the local health department and social services, and other appropriate individuals, to determine the best approach for identifying and resolving problems contributing to the student's head lice infestations.
(cf. 1020 - Youth Services)
(cf. 5113 - Absences and Excuses)
(cf. 5113.1 - Chronic Absence and Truancy)
When it is determined that one or more students in a class or school are infested with head lice, the principal or designee may, at his/her discretion, notify parents/guardians of students in that class or school and provide them with information about the detection and treatment of head lice.
Staff shall maintain the privacy of students identified as having head lice.
(cf. 4119.23/4219.23/4319.23 - Unauthorized Release of Confidential/Privileged Information)
(cf. 5125 - Student Records)
Legal Reference:
EDUCATION CODE
48320-48325 School attendance review boards
49451 Physical examinations: parent's refusal to consent
Management Resources:
CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC HEALTH PUBLICATIONS
Guidelines on Head Lice Prevention and Control for School Districts and Child Care Facilities, rev. March 2012
A Parent's Guide to Head Lice, 2008
CALIFORNIA SCHOOL NURSES ORGANIZATION
Pediculosis Management, Position Statement, rev. 2011
WEB SITES
American Academy of Pediatrics: http://www.aap.org
California Department of Public Health: http://www.cdph.ca.gov
California School Nurses Organization: http://www.csno.org
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Parasitic Disease Information, Head Lice: http://www.cdc.gov/parasites/lice/head
Policy RED BLUFF UNION ELEMENTARY SCHOOL DISTRICT
adopted: June 11, 2014 Red Bluff, California