Head Lice

Head lice found on students is handled discreetly in the following steps:

Parents are required to notify the school nurse if they suspect their child has head lice.

Infested students will be sent home following notification of the parent or guardian. Students will be excluded if live lice are found until treatment is administered and live lice are removed.

The school will provide written instructions to the parent or guardian regarding appropriate treatment for the infestation.

A student excluded because of head lice will be permitted to return to school only when the parent or guardian brings the student to school to be checked by the school nurse or building principal and the child is determined to be free of the head lice and eggs (nits). Infested children are prohibited from riding the bus to school to be checked for head lice.

Follow-up treatment is recommended after 7-10 days.

It is recommended that parents assist the school by doing periodic checks at home.  If uncertain how to do this, please call the school nurse.

Communicable Disease

Board Policy 7:280

The school will observe recommendations of the Illinois Department of Public Health regarding communicable diseases.

Parents are required to notify the school nurse if they suspect their child has a communicable disease. 

In certain cases, students with a communicable disease may be excluded from school or sent home from school following notification of the parent or guardian.

The school will provide written instructions to the parent and guardian regarding appropriate treatment for the communicable disease.

A student excluded because of a communicable disease will be permitted to return to school only when the parent or guardian brings to the school a letter from the student’s doctor stating that the student is no longer contagious or at risk of spreading the communicable disease.

Common Acute Illnesses

These are the most common illnesses in school aged children that keep a child from attending school.

Fever – please keep your child home for 24 hours after the fever breaks. Your child may develop a fever while at school as well. 

Impetigo – pink scaly, blistering rash that occurs mainly around the nose and mouth. Antibiotic treatment for 24 hours is needed before returning to school. 

Influenza A, B, H1N1 – symptoms include fever, dry cough, body aches, sore throat. Student may not return to school until fever free for 24 hours. A doctor‘s note is expected.

Pink Eye – pink, draining eye with itching and burning that needs antibiotic treatment. The student may return to school after 24 hours of treatment

Ringworm – flat, red, scaly rash that needs anti-fungal treatment for 24 hours before returning to school. The rash must be completely covered while in school.

Stomach Flu – symptoms include nausea, vomiting and/or diarrhea. Student should stay home until vomiting and diarrhea have ceased.

Strep Throat – is a bacterial throat infection that requires students to be fever free and complete 12 hours of antibiotic treatment before returning to school. 

 

Refer to the Distrcit Handbook.