District revises its interpretation of head lice policy

Cabrillo Unified School District will no longer require children to be free nits (lice eggs) in order to return to school, according to CUSD Superintendent Robert Gaskill.

The district and site administrators met today and have agreed that students will only be sent home if they have:

• active, adult head lice OR
• nits where there is no record of treatment OR
• any combination of the two

 
Students will not be readmitted with active, adult head lice. 

Superintendent Gaskill describes this policy as consistent with the current policy, which require no "untreated" nits, but it is a radically different interpretation of that policy. And it will have a significant impact on district families whose children are found to have head lice.

Parents will now only have to say they’ve treated the live lice in oder to have their children re-admitted to school. Children will be re-inspected within seven to ten days and treatment kits will be available to parents who cannot afford them.

The district is revising the packet sent home with children found to have head lice to reflect these changes.