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Head Lice

Margate City School District Head Lice Policy

The management of head lice (pediculosis) should not disrupt the educational process. No disease is associated with head lice. In-school transmission is considered to be rare, usually occurring among younger-age children with increased head-to-head contact. Children found with head lice should remain in class and instructed to avoid head-to-head contact.

Parents/guardians will be contacted by the school nurse to discuss treatment at the conclusion of the school day. Students with nits only should not be excluded, but monitoring for signs of re-infestation is indicated. It may be appropriate to screen other children who have had close head-to-head contact with a student with an active infestation, such as household family members, but class-wide or school-wide screening is not merited. It is vital that the school nurse prevent stigmatizing and maintain the student's privacy as well as the family's right to confidentiality.