FILE: JGCC
STUDENT COMMUNICABLE DISEASES
The LaSalle Parish School Board shall require the principal and school nurse to consult as needed with the local health department for specific measures in handling suspected cases of communicable disease. The local health department shall advise and assist with instituting appropriate measures to control or eliminate the spread of a disease in the school population.
A communicable disease shall be defined as a persistent or recurring infection which may be potentially transmitted to a susceptible person by contact with an infected individual.
When reliable evidence or information from a public health officer or physician confirms a student of the School Board has a communicable disease or infection that is known to be spread by any form of casual contact and is considered a health threat to the school population, the Superintendent may exclude such person from school for not more than five (5) days, or the amount of time required by state or local public health officials. Such student shall be excluded unless the public health officer approves school attendance or the condition is no longer contagious.
When reliable evidence or information from a public health officer or physician confirms a student has a communicable disease or infection that is known not to be spread by casual contact, the decision as to whether or not the student will remain in school shall be addressed on a case-by-case basis by a Review Panel to ensure due process.
If the student’s physician and/or a physician of the School Board's choice indicates that the health of the student does not allow his/her continued attendance in the regular education program, education services shall be provided in the setting appropriate to the health status of the child.
Students whose parent/guardian knowingly conceal their child's having a communicable disease shall, upon identification, be suspended from school on an excused absence status, with the opportunity to make-up assignments and graded activities, for a maximum of ten (10) school days, during which time the Superintendent shall determine the student's school attendance status.
Irrespective of the disease presence, routine procedures shall be used and adequate sanitation facilities shall be available for handling blood or body fluids within the school setting or on school buses. School personnel shall be trained in the proper procedures for handling blood and body fluids and these procedures shall be strictly adhered to by all school personnel (see policy GAMFB, Guidelines for Handling Body Fluids in Schools).
REVIEW PANEL
Communicable diseases that are known not to be spread by casual contact shall be addressed on a case-by-case basis by a Review Panel. Membership of the Review Panel, procedures for convening the Review Panel, and the process used to review the case shall be as outlined in Health and Safety, Bulletin 135, Louisiana Department of Education.
The Superintendent shall provide a written decision to the affected party within three (3) operational days (i.e. a day when the School Board Central Office is open for business) after the Review Panel convenes. The written decision shall convey information brought out during the review process and include the rationale for the decision concerning school attendance by the student.
APPEALS
Appeals may be made by the parent or guardian in writing to the Superintendent and subsequently to the School Board as outlined in Health and Safety, Bulletin 135, Louisiana Department of Education. If the written decision of the Superintendent is contrary to the majority opinion of the Review Panel, a majority of the Review Panel has the right to appeal the decision in the same manner as outlined in Bulletin 135.
CONFIDENTIALITY
All persons involved in procedures to assess school attendance of a student with a communicable disease that is not spread by casual contact shall be required to treat all medical information about the student, proceedings, deliberations, and documents as confidential information. Records of the proceedings and the decisions shall be kept by the Superintendent in a sealed envelope with access limited to only those persons receiving the consent of the parent/guardian or infected person, in accordance with state or federal law.
Before any medical information is shared with anyone in the school setting, a “Need to Know” review shall be made which includes the parent/legal guardian, student if age 18 or over, unless the information is required to meet the mandates of federal or state law or regulation, or Louisiana Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (BESE) policy.
LICE
Head lice are tiny insects that may be transmitted from one person to another on combs, coats hung together, caps, scarves, upholstered seats in movie theaters, upholstered furniture in the home, by trying on garments in any department store, or in numerous other ways. They live in the scalp and their feeding can induce intense itching. Adult lice live about one month. During this time, the female lays about 5-10 tiny nits (eggs) daily, cementing them to the base of hairs, behind the ears or on the back of a person's neck. If untreated, the nits may appear on the hair anywhere on the head. One female can have hundreds of offspring if the infestation is not detected and treated in time.
Diagnosis is easily confirmed by finding the lice themselves or their nits. Nits are attached to the hair shaft and may vary in color from white to brown to black. Although nits may look like dandruff, dandruff can easily be removed from the hair. Hair spray and hair casts may also look like nits, but are easier to remove from the hair shaft. Since the nit is cemented to the hair shaft the nit is not easily removed.
As with any contagious disease, early detection is an essential step in limiting the further spread of infestation among school children.
Procedures
Screening for lice at each school shall be conducted by the school nurse, principal, or nurse-trained school personnel. The screening will be done on a schedule agreed upon by the school nurse and the principal, or upon the request of the principal.
Whenever a student is found to be infected with lice or nits, he/she shall be sent home. A letter entitled Instructions for Treatment and Control of Head Lice shall be sent home with the student in a sealed envelope, informing the parents of the problem. An instruction sheet shall be attached describing the actions the parent will need to take to treat the student and how to get the student back in school.
The student shall be excluded from school until he/she has been effectively treated and all lice and nits are removed from the hair.
Depending on how aggressively the parent carries out the treatment, the removal of all lice and nits can be achieved in as little as one day.
No more than three (3) consecutive days absence shall be excused for each occurrence.
Upon the request of the parent or the principal, a parent conference may be held to explain and/or discuss the problem.
The parent shall be responsible for taking his/her child to the school nurse, principal, or designated trained personnel to be checked for re-entry to school. All lice and nits must be removed from the hair. A Permission for Re-Entry form shall be issued a student who has been cleared to return to school.
EXCEPTION: All students sent home from Jena High School or Jena Junior High School will be checked for re-entry to school by staff at the Jena School-Based Health Center. The parent must bring the child to the center between the hours of 7:45 a.m. - 8:15 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. - 3:30 p.m.
In returning to school, the student must be accompanied by his/her parent, guardian, or responsible adult and bring the signed re-entry form. A student shall not be allowed to ride a bus to school until the re-entry form has been signed and returned to the school principal.
Revised: November 2, 2015
Ref: La. Rev. Stat. Ann. §§17:81, 17:170
Health and Safety, Bulletin 135, Louisiana Department of Education
Board minutes, 10-6-97, 11-2-15
LaSalle Parish School Board