Mandatory head lice checks are out in Sea to Sky School District, kids won't be forced to stay home if they have lice

Changes are about correcting misinformation, and protecting the dignity of students

As kids get back to school, the Sea to Sky School District says it's making some tweaks to its head lice policy

SEA TO SKY (NEWS 1130) — The Sea to Sky School District is tweaking its policy on head lice.

Phillip Clarke, with SD 48, says mandatory lice checks are out, and schools won’t send kids home for having lice either.

He says doing so was rare if it ever happened to begin with.

“It was just time to make sure we are preserving the dignity of family and students, and not saying oh, because you have lice, which isn’t even considered a health hazard, that you can’t come to school. I think we can do better than that.”

The goal, Clarke notes, is simple: It’s about correcting misinformation about head lice, and protecting the dignity of students.

Under the new policy, students will not be asked to stay home if they have lice, although he says that practice was never really enforced in the first place.

“Head lice are not a health hazard and it’s not a sign of poor hygiene. They’re common societal problems. I think our response to when people have head lice should mirror that.”

For instance, head lice can only be spread by head to head contact. They don’t crawl or fly.

He says the school will focus on educating students about the prevention and detection of lice.