MISD approves new policy for dealing with lice
By Clayton Kelley
The Moulton Independent School District approved a new lice procedures policy for the 2025-26 school year at the May 14 meeting.
“Our current lice policy doesn’t include anything about sending children home once live lice has been observed or found in a child’s hair,” School Nurse Lindsey Muehr said. “The new policy adds to what we currently have. If a teacher calls me and they’re concerned about a student because they're scratching their head and I do a head check and I find evidence of live lice, then I would be allowed to call the parent so the child can be sent home that day so that they can begin immediate treatment. Once they’re brought back to school, they’re to be sent to my office to check again to make sure it’s been treated appropriately. That is in the new policy. Currently, we have not been sending them home.”
The board also approved Region Three Health Services Standing Orders for the new school year as well.
“So, this past year, there’s a doctor in Victoria who’s agreed to write standing orders for Region Three schools,” Muehr said. “Last year, it was approved for topical stuff like Hydrocortisone and triple antibiotic ointment. This year, for next school year, he has agreed to add Tylenol and Motrin to those standing orders so that parents won’t have to be called every time their kid has a headache.”
The board also considered naming the New Gym in honor of Tommy Hoyer and the Basketball Court in honor of Sammie Koudelka. Hoyer is partly responsible for spearheading the creation of the new gym.
“When I think about the naming of the gym, I’m thinking about considering doing something on the exterior of the building,” Interim Superintendent Bill Hefner said. “For the court, we would certainly think about doing something inside to honor these individuals.”
The district tabled this item. Board member Chuck Greive also suggested maybe putting sponsors on the back of a new trailer for the theater students.
“I think we could get some people the opportunity to show their support for the school and get some advertising for it,” Greive said.
The district also addressed a fire that occurred in the Ag Building recently.
“No one did anything wrong to cause it and everybody reacted well as you possibly could to get everybody out of there,” Hefner said. “No safety protocols that I could see were broken either.”
It was also the first regular board meeting for newly elected board members Cody Maresh, Jordan Dees and Sherry Fishbeck. It was also Greive’s first time as vice president. Elizabeth Smolik and Justin Anderle kept their positions as secretary and president respectively.
“We have the makings of a great board here,” Hefner said. “Congratulations to our new board members.”
Other items on the agenda include:
• Board members approved the sale of surplus property.
• It was reported that a safety and security meeting was held earlier this month and that went successfully.
• The elementary school as well as Hefner thanked the school PTO.
• The enrollment numbers show that there were 166 students enrolled in elementary school and 121 students enrolled in high school for the last week of school.