JLCF - Pediculosis (Head Lice) in Schools

JLCF - Pediculosis (Head Lice) in Schools

Head lice (pediculosis) are a nuisance, but they are not a communicable disease or a threat to public health.

The school nurse or principal will inform the child’s parent that the child has been discovered to have head lice.  Children should not be excluded from school but should be allowed to remain in school for the rest of the day unless the parent requests that the child be dismissed early so that treatment can be started. 

If lice is a chronic problem, the school nurse will work with the child’s parent to resolve it.

Schools will follow the recommendations of the Maine School Health Manual or the American Academy of Pediatrics or other authoritative source of information.

If there are several children in the same classroom or a large number of children in the school who have been found to have lice, the school nurse should inform the principal or superintendent.  As appropriate, information about recognizing, treating, and preventing head lice will be provided to parents.

Policy Adopted: December 4, 2024