School closes due to high number of head lice cases

MIDDLETOWN - Numerous cases of head lice in children at Nut Swamp School forced the school to close for one day recently.

According to Township Health Officer Stephen McKee, his office was notified on Sept. 29, a day after students were screened.

"They found a high number of cases of head lice and decided it was best to shut the school for the day as a precaution," McKee said.

The following day, five public health nurses were on hand to check students on their way into the school, along with School District Supervisor of Safety Ken Walls. Walls did not return phone calls made to his office for comment on this story.

Following the incident, the district put the following statement on its Web site: "Decontamination procedures appropriate to stop the spread of head lice have been conducted by the district's facilities staff. Additional nursing staff will be assigned to Nut Swamp School to assist with the process of checking hair upon entry into the building. Tuesday, Nov. 7 is the tentative makeup date for today's school closing, pending approval by the Board of Education at the October regular voting meeting."

Calls to school nurse Lucille Orchanian and Principal Anne Facendo were referred to the district's administration. Multiple messages left for Interim Superintendent Karen Bilbao and Schools Business Administrator/

Board Secretary William J. Doering were not returned.

Head lice are parasitic insects found strictly on people's heads and are most commonly found on children.

As for ways to prevent head lice, McKee offered some simple solutions.

"There are over-the-counter drugs that are out there to help stop the spread of lice," McKee said. "Clothing and bedding should always be washed in hot water. Also, mostly with boys, they wear the same baseball hat day after day after day and that's not good either."

- Dan Newman