Lincoln County schools will no longer be required to send a student home after lice has been found.

The Lincoln County School District Board of Trustees on Tuesday revised the Student Health Services Policy on head lice and scabies.

The reasoning for the change is that lice do not spread disease, students in the class have already been exposed to the lice and there is no further risk.

The Center for Disease Control made a similar change in its recommendation several years ago.

Students found with lice must begin treatment after school and will then be able to return to school the next day. The nurses will check to ensure that there is a marked improvement. If not, the child will be sent back home. After three active cases have been found, the school will then refer the child to the Mississippi State Department of Health. In extreme cases, calls to Mississippi Department of Human Services can be made.

The policy also does away with routine classroom checks for lice. Each check takes about 15 to 20 minutes away from class time, and there are rarely any new cases found through this method. If several cases emerge from one classroom, a classroom check will be done.

The policy also addresses scabies for the first time, which will allow a letter with instructions to go home with the child. Scabies is caused by mites that burrow under the skin. It must be diagnosed by a doctor and treated by a prescription ointment.

Enterprise parking lot

The school board approved a change order request for the ongoing parking lot construction project at Enterprise. The original plan called for an earth ramp to allow pedestrians to cross from the new parking lot to the gym. Due to the steepness of the ramp, Ryan Holmes, engineer with Dungan Engineering, recommended steps be installed instead. The change will also add wheelchair accessibility to the football field. Because of the large incline to the gym, the parking lot will not be wheelchair accessible to the gym.

A secondary project to repave the front Enterprise parking lot is in the planning stages. The board suggested looking at adding some handicap spots in that area to allow more wheelchair accessibility to the gym. Currently, there are two handicap spots in that parking lot.

Individuals with Disabilities Act

Deputy Superintendent Letha Presley presented the IDEA budget for fiscal year 2016. For the 3- and 4-year-old preschool, the budget is $38,202.11, with $25,552.11 rolling over from fiscal year 2015. For special education, the budget is $848,086.06, with $251,144.06 rolling over from fiscal year 2015. Most of the special education budget is spent on assistants, contracts and instructional supplies. Currently the district has contracts with an occupational therapist and a behavioral specialist.

New superintendent adjusts

With just two weeks on the job, Superintendent Mickey Myers said he has a newfound respect for the work the board members and central office employees do.

“Dr. Adcock told me ‘You’ll find out you have a great staff,’ and that’s exactly what I found out,” he said.

He said that his goal is to make sure each employee of the district, from top to bottom, is held accountable to work for the good of the students. Currently, he is visiting each school to identify needs. He is also exploring the possibility of contracting with Dungan Engineering to do a needs assessment of all four campuses, so they can spend the district’s money efficiently.

“We better do our job like the future depends on it because it does,” Myers quoted from a recent training seminar.

In other board business:

• Business manager Cheryl Shelby presented the December financial statement, explaining that the influx of cash was lower than normal. Because the district closed on Dec. 18, they did not receive the ad valorem check from Lincoln County until after the new year. December’s statement included no ad valorem income, but January’s statement will include two ad valorem checks. Shelby added that the first part of the year is when collections are the highest because that’s when most people are paying their taxes.

• The board approved the retirement request from Prentiss Coley, shop foreman, and approved to hire Stanley Thomas Hughes as his replacement, effective Feb. 1.

• The board approved for two long-term substitutes for teachers who are on family medical leave.

• The board approved over-night travel expenses for Presley, Katie Furr and Yashica Davis to attend the Mississippi Council for Exceptional Children in Tupelo from Jan. 31 through Feb. 3, for Johnny Hart to attend the Mississippi School Board Association National Conference in Jackson from Feb. 22 through Feb. 24, and for Diane Gill, Kay Coon, Michael Posey and Ricky Welch to attend the MSBA conference on Feb. 23.

• The board approved for Loyd Star Principal Robin Case and three teachers to attend the Innovative Leadership Summit in Starkville. The cost will be mileage for one vehicle and payment for subs for the teachers.

• The board approved contractual services with Snider Therapy Centers, Inc. in Birmingham, Alabama, for neuro-assessment, Brookhaven ENT Clinic for hearing exams and Smith Eye Care for eye exams.

• The board approved an application for the use of school facilities at Loyd Star by the Loyd Star Fire Department in February.

The next regular board meeting will be Feb. 1 at 5 p.m.