PPS Head Lice Guidance

The district desires to maximize students' academic performance and physical well-being in a healthy and safe environment. Head lice is not categorized as a communicable disease. The district recognizes that the responsibility for the treatment of head lice rests with the home, but that schools can play an important role in educating parents, students, and staff about the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of head lice.

The district operates on a no-exclusion, evidence-based policy supported by the American Academy of Pediatrics, the Centers for Disease Control, the National Association of School Nurses, and the Harvard School of Public Health. Suggested school measures for head lice control, as provided in Head Lice Guidance issued through the Oregon Department of Education and the Oregon Health Authority will be followed.   

Suggested School Measures for Head Lice Control

Head lice checks will only be done on an individual, symptom-prompted basis, near the end of a class period, and privacy and confidentiality of the student will be enforced. 

The school nurse can be used as a resource to help identify the presence of lice or nits on an individual basis, as requested per teacher or that student’s parent/guardian.

• If live lice or nits are discovered, an attempt will be made to contact the parent/guardian by telephone or email to report the incidence and answer questions.  Parental notification will be provided with the student with live lice, containing directions about how to treat a student, and/or other preventative measures. The parent should contact their healthcare provider or local health department in the event additional assistance and/or information is needed regarding the treatment of the student, other family members, close contacts, and the home environment.
• The student will receive education on avoiding head-to-head contact and the sharing of personal items such as hats and hoodies with peers, and will return to class; the presence of lice/nits will not be cause for an otherwise healthy student to be excluded from the instructional environment.

By educating staff, students, and parents with information on lice prevention and management, we aim to:

• Sustain a collaborative attitude towards containment of pediculosis/nits.
• Discourage head to head contact between students.
• Discourage the sharing of personal items such as combs, brushes, and hats.
• Encourage regular head checks at home by parents as an effective way to detect and treat head lice.
• Encourage classroom management by teachers which minimizes any furniture or activities that promote head-to-head contact.