Head lice and schools
At any point,
one to three percent
of elementary school children may have head lice. During an outbreak, it may be
as high as 25%.
When Head Lice is Found at School
Each year, about one out of every 100 elementary school students will become infested with head lice. At any point, one to three percent of children in elementary school may have head lice. During an outbreak, the percentage of children with head lice may be as high as 25 percent.
Even though most people get head lice in home or community settings, school nurses and/or staff play an important role in finding head lice.
The National Association of School Nurses (NASN) recommends that children found with live head lice should remain in class, but be discouraged from head-to-head contact with other children. The organization also recommends that a school nurse should contact the parents of an affected child at the end of the school day to discuss treating the child.
