Head Lice
Head lice are passed from person to person by direct contact, on shared personal items or by contact with infected bedding, furniture, or carpeting.
Policy on Head Lice
Parents are encouraged to periodically check their children's heads for lice and nits. Any student attending school with lice or nits shall be sent home for treatment and removal of lice and/or nits. Treatment and removal should be done the same day. Except in extremely bad cases of infestation, there is no reason for a child to miss another day of school. The student may return to school the same day he or she is sent home (Day 1), but must return no later than the next school day (Day 2). The student must return no later than 8:00 am on Day 2 to be checked. The parent or guardian must accompany the student to the nurse’s office to be examined and cleared to return to class. If all lice and nits have been removed, the student will be allowed to return to class. If lice or nits are still present, the student may not return to class and will again be sent home for removal of all remaining lice and/or nits.
The absence for the day the student was originally sent home (Day 1) will be excused if the student returns to school either the same day or the next school day (Day 2) by 8:00 am and there is evidence that treatment has been done and nit removal is in progress. If this evidence is present but there are still some lice or nits present, the student may not return to class and will again be sent home for removal of all remaining lice and/or nits. In this case, the absence on Day 2 will also be excused. The absence for Day 2 will not be excused if it falls after a weekend or holiday, as the parent or guardian would have already had extra days to treat the student. No absences will be excused after Day 2. If there is no evidence that treatment has been done and nit removal is in progress when the student returns to school after Day 1, the student’s absence for Day 1 and any additional missed days will not be excused.
More information on head lice can be obtained from the Texas Department of State Health Services website.