The Orchard Park School District is planning to change its policy on head lice and will send children home from school if they have active lice.

Cameron Morton, assistant superintendent for human resources, said the policy was drafted with the input of staff and parents, who met with the superintendent last week. There are several other staff members who need to be informed of the proposed changes before they would go into effect, he said.

The new policy was going to be brought to the board next month for approval, but since approval from board members is not required, the new procedures will be put in place as soon as they are ready.

“I think the sooner, the better,” board President Donald Sniezak said.

Morton said if children are discovered with active lice at school, their parents will be called to pick them up. Once the parents are at school, the nurse will discuss how to check for lice.

“We think that face-to-face conversation is very important,” he said.

The child can return to school as soon as there are no signs of active lice, and the child will be checked by the nurse periodically to make sure they have not returned. Other students in the child’s class also will be checked.

“The goal here is to identify issues before they get out of control,” Morton said.

The district also will put information in PTO newsletters and on the school Web site.

At its Tuesday night meeting, the board approved an alternative education program in the high school that will run from 4 to 7 p. m. daily. It will target students working with a tutor or attending an alternative school outside the district.

The board also accepted the resignation of the principal and assistant principal at the Middle School. Principal Jennifer Curci is resigning June 4, 2010, for personal reasons, and Assistant Principal Eleanor Payne is resigning Nov. 20 to take a position with another school district.

The board also approved an agreement in the event Erie County needs to use the district buildings as locations to distribute the H1N1 vaccine.