Insects
Insects
Bed Bugs
Head Lice/Pediculosis
No parent ever wants to get "the call" from the school nurse that their child has head lice.
Head Lice information for Parents
Occasionally, we see an increase in the number of students with head lice after we have had a break from school (i.e. fall, winter, spring break or summer).
Wichita Public Schools follows the guidance of KDHE and the Kansas Classroom Handbook of Communicable Diseases. Kansas regulations do not require individuals with head lice or nits to be excluded from school or child care facilities. 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 from school due to lice or nits.
What happens when a student has lice at school?
- When a teacher notices that a student has live bugs or the student is scratching their head, neck or ears, they can send the student to the school nurse to check the student for lice.
- If the nurse finds live lice on the student, the nurse will contact parents by phone to let them know.
- The nurse will explain that the student may stay in school until the end of the day and should be treated for lice before returning to school. If the parent chooses to pick up their child so they can begin treatment for lice, they may do so.
- In special circumstances, the nurse may ask a parent to pick up their child early when a student is too uncomfortable or distracted to be at school from a lice infestation.
- We do not perform mass or classroom head lice screenings.
- Head Lice notices are not sent home each time a student is found to have head lice.
- 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.
Resources
Kansas Classroom Handbook of Communicable Diseases
K-State Extension Bed Bug - Structural Pests
Sedgwick County Extension - Bed Bug Tips
Sedgwick County Health Department Bed Bug Tips
Head Lice Information for Parents
Head Lice Information for Parents - Spanish
Head Lice Information for Parents - Vietnamese
Demystifying Pediculosis from Pediatric Nursing
Head Lice Information for Schools from the CDC