Arlington Heights School District Lice Policy

The Arlington Heights School District has a “no live lice” policy. Children with live bugs are not allowed in school.

If it is confirmed that a child, while at school, has nits and/or head lice, the parents will be notified immediately. The child will not be excluded from class, but will be allowed to complete the day. It will be the parent’s responsibility to choose the treatment that best meets the needs of the child and the family. Parents/guardians will be required to provide proof of treatment prior to the student returning to school. The District’s procedures for management of head lice are available from the nurse’s office and the Department of Student Services.

In an effort to control the spread of head lice, we ask that you carefully inspect your child’s scalp at least once a week.  The best way to find head lice is to take your child to a well lit area, use a magnifying glass and a fine-tooth comb and inspect the base of the hair shafts within a quarter inch of the scalp.  You may see crawling lice, but it is more probable that you will see nits (lice eggs) firmly attached to the hair shaft.  Although many children have no symptoms, some children experience an itchy scalp, a feeling of tingling or movement in the hair or scratch marks on the scalp.

If you suspect or confirm that your child has head lice, please contact your pediatrician and the school nurse regarding treatment.  Your child may return to school as soon as the school nurse has verified that the child has been appropriately treated and your child has no live lice.  Please complete the “Head Lice Proof of Treatment Checklist” and bring your child to the school nurse. 

Source: School District 25

Prospect Heights Schools

As with the above school district, children are not permitted to return to school if they have an active case of lice. The school will observe recommendations of the Illinois Department of Public Health regarding head lice.

1. Parents are required to notify the school nurse if they suspect their child has head lice.
2. Infested students may be sent home following notification of the parent or guardian.
3. The school will provide written instructions to parent or guardian regarding appropriate treatment for the infestation. 
4. A student excluded because of head lice will be permitted to return to school only when the parent or guardian brings the student to school to be checked by the school nurse or building principal and the child is determined to be free of the head lice. Infested children are prohibited from riding the bus to school to be checked for head lice.”

Source  Prospect Heights School Handbook

Check in with your school nurse to be sure that you have the most up-to-date head lice policy for your child's school. LiceDoctors encourages all parents to check with their school nurse to be sure that you are aware of the most up to date head lice policy. 

While you cannot absolutely prevent head lice, putting your child's hair up in a bun will act as a deterrent. We, at LiceDoctors, recommend that you check your child's hair in bright light once a week for signs of head lice. If you have any questions, feel free to call us in Arlington Heights at 312-765-7266 and we can help you today.