Recurring Head Lice Infestation Irritates Parents At Walnut Creek School

WALNUT CREEK (KPIX 5) -- Parents of children at a Walnut Creek elementary school are outraged over what they say is a lack of information of a lice outbreak at the school.

The lice infestation has been going on for three weeks at Bancroft Elementary, according to parents.

On Thursday, fifth-grader Taite Stewart was sent home for having head lice. "I was kinda scared for a minute and surprised because I'm really clean," she said.

So her house was cleaned from top to bottom and the entire family got a good shampooing. But when she came home from school yesterday, the bugs were back.

"So whatever wasn't done over the weekend, now the kids are still being sent home as of today. Yesterday and today," said Taite's father, Dean Stewart.

He said he got fed up when he discovered that five kids have been sent home in the last three weeks.

"And they said oh, well we've had it, too," said Stewart. "In this three-week span, no note ever went home with us."

The principal disputed Stewart's claim, saying all 5th graders' families have been notified, but only fifth-graders - no one else. Linda Schuler said she's only following district policy. "Because the outbreak has not occurred in any other classroom except one grade level," said Schuler.

But a number of kindergarten parents said they would like to know. One woman showed the spider bites her child got on the playground structure.

"They said the district will spray when they feel like it," said kindergarten parent Jenea Elam-Cabrera.

Taite's dad is keeping her home until the classrooms are cleared of lice. The district says the fifth grade classrooms will get a "deep cleaning" Tuesday evening, including shampooing of all carpets.

The district also says the rules do not allow them to spray insecticides without first posting a 72-hour warning.