Lice policy banning children from school approved

 A school board meeting last week led to a policy change to send a child home when found with live head lice. 

On March 23, Red Oak school board members listened to a task force’s pitch to change the school district’s policy to allow school officials to send children home when live lice are found. 

Currently, students are allowed to attend school when diagnosed with communicable diseases. Lice fall into this category as they are easily transferrable. 

Officials at Inman Primary School have provided treatment options for families; however, there are still some children with chronic cases. When these children attend school, they expose other students to lice. 

The task force, including IPS principal Gayle Allensworth and nurse Heather Hall, hope with the implementation of a policy requiring students to stay home will help eliminate the chronic cases and spread of lice. 

With the new policy in place, students will be able to return to class upon the inspection from a school official. 

In a unanimous vote, board members passed that “at the discretion of school officials, children can be sent home when live lice are found.” This statement will be included in next year’s policy and handbook. 

After the board voted on the policy change, Washington Intermediate School principal Barb Sims presented the progress her staff has had. With a seven-teacher staff, the faculty has been able to continuously increase test scores and proficiency. 

The board also discussed the 2015-16 school calendar. The Iowa legislature is in the process of finalizing an approved start date for all school districts. All districts will be required to start on or after the approved date. 

Red Oak currently has two calendars drafted for next school year. The first has a proposed start date of Sept. 2 and will end on June 7. The second calendar shows a start date of Aug. 26 and the school year will end on May 27. 

The calendar will be discussed further at an April 13 scheduled meeting, which will precede the budget hearing. 

The Red Oak Express

2012 Commerce Drive
P.O. Box 377
Red Oak, IA 51566
Phone: 712-623-2566 Fax: 712-623-2568

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