NORTHFIELD BOARD OF EDUCATION FILE CODE: 5141
Northfield, New Jersey
Regulation
PROCEDURES FOR THE DETECTION AND PREVENTION OF PEDICULOSIS
School Control Measures – (recommendations of AAP, May 2015)
a. The school nurse will check the student’s head if he or she is complaining of itchy scalp
b. Classroom or school-wide screening should be strongly discouraged
c. Parents should be encouraged to check their children’s heads for lice if the child is symptomatic and given a Head Lice Information sheet
d. If a child is assessed as having head lice, confidentiality must be maintained so the child is not embarrassed
e. The child’s parent or guardian should be notified that day by telephone or a note sent home with the child at the end of the school day stating that prompt, proper treatment of this condition is in the best interest of the child and his or her classmates.
f. A child should be allowed to return to school after proper treatment. No child should be allowed to miss valuable school time because of head lice. A child should not be restricted from school attendance because of lice, because head lice have low contagion within classrooms.
g. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, International guidelines established in 2007 for the effective control of head lice infestations stated that no-nit policies are unjust and should be discontinued, because they are based on misinformation rather than objective science. The American Academy of Pediatrics and the National Association of School Nurses discourage no-nit policies. However, nit removal may be considered for the following reasons:
(1) nit removal can decrease diagnostic confusion;
(2) nit removal can decrease the possibility of unnecessary re-treatment;
(3) some experts recommend removal of nits within 1 cm of the scalp to decrease the small
risk of self-reinfestation.
h. The school nurse, if present, can perform a valuable service by rechecking a child’s head if requested to do so by a parent. In addition, the school nurse can offer extra help to families of children who are repeatedly or chronically infested. In rare instances, it may be helpful to involve public health nurses to ensure that treatment is being conducted effectively.
i. If a parent verbally confirms lice and has treated the child, the school will send a letter home to the classroom.
Adopted: 12/2011
Revised/Updated: November 28, 2022