Local school districts weigh on lice policies

Should students with lice be allowed to stay in school even before they're treated? According to a school district in California, the answer is yes. This year, the Oakland Unified School District has adopted a new "no exclusion" policy, allowing students to stay in school even if they have live head lice.

"I certainly would want to know, as a parent, if this is going on and I would want to take my child home and I'd like to know that other parents would take theirs home too," said Amanda Hintz.

"It is a nuisance disease, not considered a communicable disease or something that requires exclusion for any length of time," said Pam Burke, director of health services at Round Rock ISD. She's also a member of the National Association of School Nurses, a group that supports the "no exclusion" policy.

Burke says the rules at in Round Rock ISD aren't quite as liberal.

"If there's live lice, then the child will be sent home to be treated. They can come back to school an hour later once they've had the appropriate treatment," said Burke. Students are not required to be free of lice eggs, which attach to the hair.

Austin ISD has a similar policy.

"Once the child is identified, it's likely they've had that infestation for a while, so they actually should not be sent home from school," said Ari Brown, an Austin pediatrician, and a member of the American Academy of Pediatrics, which supports the new policy. She says there are no serious health risks associated with head lice, and believes California's "no exclusion" policy is safe for students.

But some parents would rather play it safe.

"Sending them home, it's the right thing. Take care of the situation and them take them back to school," said Terry Terrazas.

Local school districts we talked with do not perform regular lice checks. They only inspect students who may have had contact with a student who has lice, or those referred by teachers.

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