Reno, Nevada and Surrounding School Lice Policy

Washoe County Schools

More information: This district has a lenient school lice policy. If a student is found to have lice or nits, he or she is expected to be treated but is not sent home from school. "If at any time, a parent informs the school that his or her child has head lice or nits, the school nurse or trained clinical aide will conduct a head check on the student in order to verify the presence of head lice/nits and ensure all policies are followed. The sibling(s) of the student, who attend the same school, will also be checked by the school nurse or trained clinical aide.

• 5.8.2 After the school nurse or trained clinical aide checks the student and if appropriate, the student’s siblings, the parent will be notified of the results.
• 5.9 Any parent of a student with lice or nits will be given the option of picking the student up from school prior to the end of the school day in order to begin immediate treatment at home. 5.9.1 If the parent chooses to pick the student up from school prior to the end of the school day, the school nurse or trained clinical aide will demonstrate the identification of head lice or nits to the parent in the health office or other private location on campus. 5.9.2 In cases where a parent is delayed or opts not to pick the student up from school prior to the end of the day, the student will be sent back to class until the parent arrives or school dismissal.
• 5.9.3 The parent of the student with verified head lice or nits will be given the “Individual Parent Head Lice Notification,” (HEA-F1250) and advised to access the WCSD “Healthy Students, Healthy Schools” web site at http://www.washoe.k12.nv.us/.
• 5.9.4 If the parent requires more information, has additional questions regarding the head lice policy, or needs financial assistance for the purchase of a “nit comb” or anti-lice treatments, the clinical aide will refer the parent to the school nurse. 5.9.4.1 While school personnel may not purchase or distribute anti-lice creams or pharmaceutical products, the school administrator may opt to purchase and provide lice combs to parents on a case-by-case basis.
• 5.10 The school nurse or trained clinical aide will recheck the student, and the student's siblings if appropriate, when the student returns to school. 5.10.1If an examination of the student’s head upon his or her return to school indicates continued infestation with lice and/or nits and the school nurse verifies that there is no evidence of treatment or removal of nits, the student's case will be considered "chronic." 5.10.2A student whom the school nurse identifies as chronic will be more closely monitored by the school nurse and the school nurse will contact the parent/guardian to provide more focused support. 5.10.2.1 The school nurse will refer to (HEA-F1255), “Checklist for Assisting Students with Chronic Head Lice,” to determine whether there are social, financial or other barriers that are preventing the successful resolution of the chronic case of head lice and/or nits. 5.10.2.2 In addressing any barriers that may be present, the school nurse will collaborate with other members of the MTSS team to ensure that all resources at the school level are utilized. 5.10.2.3 If all efforts at the school level have been exhausted and are unsuccessful in resolving the chronic case of head lice and/or nits, then the MTSS will refer the parent/guardian to community resources such as The Family Resource Center, The Children’s Cabinet, or other appropriate agencies. 5.10.2.4 If all of the above measures are unsuccessful, the student may be referred to SARB, if the school can determine that the student’s chronic case of head lice and/or nits has an impact on the student’s education.
• 5.11 In cases where the school nurse verifies that one or more student(s) has head lice, additional measures will be implemented. 5.11.1The school nurse will notify the school principal. 5.11.2All parents of students in the affected classroom(s) will be sent a Connect Ed Message using the “Script for Head Lice Connect Ed Message” (HEA-F1254). 5.11.3All parents in the affected classroom(s) will receive the “Classroom-wide Head Lice Notification” (HEA-F1251). 5.11.4The principal and the school nurse will collaborate on more specific control and or cleaning measures in the affected classroom(s) on a case-by-case basis."

Douglas County School District

More information: dcsd.k12.nv.us Students in the district may be sent home if found with head lice. "CONTROL OF CONTAGIOUS DISEASES The Board recognizes that control of the spread of contagious disease is essential to the well being of the school community and to the efficient operation of the schools. For purposes of this policy, "contagious disease" shall include smallpox, diphtheria, scarlet fever and other strep infections, infectious hepatitis, whooping cough, mumps, typhoid fever, measles and rubella, poliomyelitis, chicken pox, impetigo, ringworm, pediculosis, acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS), and other contagious diseases. The Board shall comply with regulations of the State/County Health Departments regarding the prevention, control and reporting of contagious diseases. On the recommendation of the school nurse or other qualified personnel, the teacher may exclude from the classroom and the principal may exclude from the building or isolate in the school any student who appears to be ill or has been exposed to a contagious disease. The Superintendent shall develop procedures for the control of contagious disease that shall include the detection of disease and measures for its prevention and control, removal from school property to the care of a responsible adult of students identified and excluded in accordance with this policy, the observance of State Health Board standards for the readmission of students who have recovered from contagious diseases, and the filing of reports as required by statute and the state Department of Health."

Tahoe-Truckee Unified School District

More information: www.gamutonline.net Like the Reno schools, this district has a lenient school lice policy and students may remain in school if found with lice, with the expectation that they will receive treatment at home. "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. 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. 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."

Churchill County Schools

More information: churchillcounty.nv.schoolwebpages.com Churchill County schools have a "no nit" policy; students who present with nits or lice are not permitted in school. "WHO CAN EXAMINE FOR THE DETERMINATION OF PEDICULOSIS? Determination of the existence of evidence of lice infestation on a student at school will be made by a school nurse. EVIDENCE REQUIRED FOR EXCLUSION: Any child found to display the following shall be excluded from school:

• infestation evidence (live lice moving about the head) and/or,
• the presence of nits (eggs of lice)

PROCEDURE FOR EXCLUSION:

• Following discovery of evidence of infestation the child's parents will be called and asked to pick up the child from school.
• A complete explanation of the policy and information regarding treatment and readmission to class will be provided to the parents when they arrive at school.

PROCEDURE FOR RE-ENTRY AND RE-TREATMENT: The child's head shall be examined on the day of re-entry by the school nurse. If nits are present the child will be excluded until all of the nits are removed. Eight days after the student is readmitted to class, the nurse will re-examine the student's head to determine effectiveness of treatment. If live lice or nits are present, repeat initial treatment. Allow 7-10 days between treatments. One or two additional treatments may be necessary to treat severe infections. Students in the process of a second or third treatment must report to the nurse daily for nit inspection. If the problem persists after 3 treatments have been applied, a conference including the parent/legal guardian, school nurse, and site administrator will be required before readmission to class."

Carson City

More information: www.carsoncity.k12.mi.us This district maintains a "no nit" policy and children who have nits or lice will not be permitted to attend school. "Carson City-Crystal Area Schools has a “No Nit” policy. Children with nits or head lice will be sent home. They will be allowed to return to school as soon the nits and lice are completely removed. It's unclear how many districts nationwide have opted for less-restrictive lice policies, but Nevada offers a hint: Of 14 counties with chief school district nurses, four have eased their rules on head lice since 2011, and others are cautiously considering the move." If your child has head lice, check in with the school nurse to make sure that you understand the district's most up-to-date lice policy. Note that LiceDoctors makes house calls day or night, 7 days a week to ensure that your child is clear of lice and nits and may return to school the next day. To make an appointment or ask questions, call LiceDoctors between the hours of 5 am and 10 pm and we will gladly assist you. The number in the Reno area is 775-525-8644.