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    No parent ever wants to get "the call" from the school nurse that their child has head lice. 

     

    Students with head lice are no longer required to be excluded from school.  It is recommended students are sent home at the end of the day and treated before returning.

     

    Wichita Public Schools follow the guidelines of the KDHE Kansas Classroom Handbook of Communicable Diseases for head lice. 

     

    KDHE - Head Lice Guidelines

    Kansas regulations do not require individuals with head lice or nits to be excluded from school or child care. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the American Academy of Pediatrics, and the National Association of School Nurses advocate that children should not be excluded for lice or nits.

     

    Head lice can be a nuisance, but they have not been shown to spread disease and are not considered a public health hazard. CDC states that the burden of unnecessary absenteeism to the students, families and communities far outweighs the perceived risks associated with head lice.