Lice in School

Lice are extremely common and NOT a sign of unclean hair. They are not dangerous but are contagious and annoying.

Head lice eggs (called “nits”) can be found firmly attached at the base of the hair shaft near the scalp. They are hard to see and often confused for dandruff.

The sooner head lice are detected, the better. Quick action and preventive measures can minimize their spread and chance of returning.

School Policy

  • The school does NOT do lice screenings. It is up to parents to check the kids.

  • The DOE policy is that children with lice are not allowed to return to school until they are lice-free.

What To Do

  • Check you kid thoroughly or have them checked by a professional. Lice are hard to find for the untrained eye. The adults crawl fast, and the nits are tiny and hide well in the hair.

  • If you find lice on your kid's head he or she should not be sent to school until treated.

  • Please notify the school immediately. You can tell your child's teacher, the class head parent, or the school parent coordinator, so they can inform the other parents in the class about the outbreak.

Prevention

  • Screen your child for head lice once a week.

  • Style your child’s hair in a tight braid, or bun.

  • Use a repellent spray on your kid's hair everyday before they go to school.

  • Tea tree oil, lemongrass oil, garlic oil can be applied to the scalp as a preventative measure.

  • Tell your child not to share hats, hair accessories, etc, and to let you know if their head itches.

TREATMENTS

Professional Lice Removal
Here are a few removal services in Brooklyn. Some of them do in-home treatments:

Rockin' Locks Salon
Lice Busters
Licenders
Lice Free Noggins

DYI
If you decide to do it yourself, there are natural products in the market that you can buy for a reasonable price. 

Keep in mind that for a treatment to be effective you will need to both kill the live lice and remove the nits. This usually means using two different products and combing thoroughly using a metal lice comb.

Please note that the services and products above are not associated with PS 84 or the Department of Education. PS 84 makes no endorsements of any of them.