Head Lice

Frederick County Public Schools is committed to providing a healthy environment for all students and employees. FCPS has used the recommendations of the Virginia Department of Health (VDH), the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to develop the following guidelines:

• When a child is identified with live lice at school, the parent is notified
• Students may return to school after they have received appropriate treatment. Students with nits only are not excluded from school
• Current evidence does not support the efficacy and cost effectiveness of classroom or school-wide screening for decreasing the incidence of head lice among school children. The most effective screening method is when parents check their own children at home, use appropriate treatment and remove nits.

A letter may be sent home by the school if there is an unusual clustering of head lice cases or multiple cases in the same classroom. School nurses are an excellent resource and play an important role in educating students, parents and school personnel regarding head lice. Below are some other resources you may find helpful.