Wawasee School Board Talks Lice Policy
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
By Jordan Fouts-
But school officials objected to the either-or response she demanded.
The parent of elementary- and kindergarten-age children said she was tired of spending money on lice treatments, and wasn’t satisfied with the answers she got from teachers and nurses. She said they told her the spread of lice was not a school issue but a social one.
Bonner described conditions in her kindergartener’s classroom that would lead to the spread of lice – coats kept closely together, no separate lockers for students and shared computer headphones.
She added that many parents she spoke with “were outraged to hear that it’s OK to have live lice in the classroom.”
“What I want from the board is for you to say, ‘We’re fine with it, we support kids having lice on their heads,’ or ‘We want a stricter policy,’” Bonner told board members early in the meeting. “If the board says they support live lice in the classroom, I want the papers to publish that.”
Schools Superintendent Dr. Tom Edington responded that it wasn’t a fair question.
Board President Mike Wilson promised to look into the policy.
Edington said the school doesn’t have its own policy on lice but follows recommendations from the state Department of Education and head school nurse. He said the state changed its guidelines a few years ago to encourage students to attend even if they have lice, so as not to miss classes and score poorly on tests.
“If a student is out repeatedly, he’ll have lice problems as well as learning problems,” Edington observed.
He also noted the county has programs to help families with financial need whose children have recurring lice problems.
The board later voted to bid out renovation of the middle school and the high school kitchen and culinary arts area. Work on the middle school will include replacement of some carpeting and ceiling tiles as well as filtration, UV and timing systems in the 20-year-old pool.
The board expects to award contracts at February’s meeting.
The board also heard about a new career technical program in marine trades, to be offered after next school year. Subjects will include technical and mechanical systems of watercraft and fiberglass decking of pontoons.
Wilson said he hopes the program will offer a chance for community and business partnerships, similar to the Supermileage vehicle build and contest Wawasee high schoolers participate in every year.
The board approved Tuesday a $1,000 donation toward the Supermileage class trip to Houston this spring.
Also during the meeting, Wawasee High School Principal Don Harman reported that more than 200 freshmen received their tablet PCs Monday night, out of 260 who will receive them as part of the pilot program. He said teachers have been using them already, and working behind the scenes to integrate the take-home learning devices into their curriculum.[[In-content Ad]]
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But school officials objected to the either-or response she demanded.
The parent of elementary- and kindergarten-age children said she was tired of spending money on lice treatments, and wasn’t satisfied with the answers she got from teachers and nurses. She said they told her the spread of lice was not a school issue but a social one.
Bonner described conditions in her kindergartener’s classroom that would lead to the spread of lice – coats kept closely together, no separate lockers for students and shared computer headphones.
She added that many parents she spoke with “were outraged to hear that it’s OK to have live lice in the classroom.”
“What I want from the board is for you to say, ‘We’re fine with it, we support kids having lice on their heads,’ or ‘We want a stricter policy,’” Bonner told board members early in the meeting. “If the board says they support live lice in the classroom, I want the papers to publish that.”
Schools Superintendent Dr. Tom Edington responded that it wasn’t a fair question.
Board President Mike Wilson promised to look into the policy.
Edington said the school doesn’t have its own policy on lice but follows recommendations from the state Department of Education and head school nurse. He said the state changed its guidelines a few years ago to encourage students to attend even if they have lice, so as not to miss classes and score poorly on tests.
“If a student is out repeatedly, he’ll have lice problems as well as learning problems,” Edington observed.
He also noted the county has programs to help families with financial need whose children have recurring lice problems.
The board later voted to bid out renovation of the middle school and the high school kitchen and culinary arts area. Work on the middle school will include replacement of some carpeting and ceiling tiles as well as filtration, UV and timing systems in the 20-year-old pool.
The board expects to award contracts at February’s meeting.
The board also heard about a new career technical program in marine trades, to be offered after next school year. Subjects will include technical and mechanical systems of watercraft and fiberglass decking of pontoons.
Wilson said he hopes the program will offer a chance for community and business partnerships, similar to the Supermileage vehicle build and contest Wawasee high schoolers participate in every year.
The board approved Tuesday a $1,000 donation toward the Supermileage class trip to Houston this spring.
Also during the meeting, Wawasee High School Principal Don Harman reported that more than 200 freshmen received their tablet PCs Monday night, out of 260 who will receive them as part of the pilot program. He said teachers have been using them already, and working behind the scenes to integrate the take-home learning devices into their curriculum.[[In-content Ad]]
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