Head Lice (All Grade Levels)

Head Lice (All Grade Levels)

MISD handbook information: Head lice, although not an illness or a disease, is very common among children and is spread very easily through head-to-head contact during play, sports, or nap time and when children share things like brushes, combs, hats, and headphones. If careful observation indicates that a student has head lice, the school nurse will contact the student’s parent to determine whether the child will need to be picked up from school and to discuss a plan for treatment with an FDAapproved medicated shampoo or cream rinse that may be purchased from any drug or grocery store. After the student has undergone one treatment, the parent should check in with the school nurse to discuss the treatment used. The nurse can also offer additional recommendations, including subsequent treatments and how best to get rid of lice and prevent their return. More information on head lice can be obtained from the TDSHS website at:

State Law and School Policies Addressing Head Lice - Laws, Rules, and Policies

There is no law in Texas that addresses excluding children with head lice from school. DSHS does not have authority to impose a set policy about head lice on school districts. However, DSHS does urge school districts to ensure that its policies and procedures do not cause children to miss class unnecessarily. In addition, school districts’ policies and procedures should not encourage the embarrassment and isolation of students who suffer from repeated cases of head lice.

Lice are not a public health threat. They do not carry disease. Therefore, the Department of State Health Services does not monitor or track cases of head lice. It is up to each school district to create head lice policies and procedures, if they so choose…and some do. Talk to the school nurse or someone else in charge to find out what the school policy and procedures are in your school district. Refer to the topic "Setting Policies for Schools" that appears on this page for policy suggestions.

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) states from a 2010 research study on head lice, the number one key point in the study: "No healthy child should be excluded from or allowed to miss school time because of head lice. No-nit policies for return to school should be abandoned." Information for schools is located at the end of the study article.