Booklice found on school bus

Booklice was discovered on an Independent Coach bus as it took students to Lawrence Middle School on Sept. 11.
A fifth grade student called her mother after she got to the school. The mother, a Cedarhurst resident, who asked not to be identified, said her daughter informed her of seeking the booklice on the bus.
“[My daughter] said the bus was crawling with bugs,” the woman said. “I spoke to a supervisor who said they would check it out.”
Booklice are not considered true lice. Similar in size and shape to lice, booklice feed only on fungi or mold. They are typically found in places of high humidity where mold can grow. Booklice don’t bite, transmit disease or damage food or fabric. But like fruit flies they can a nuisance in large numbers.
Inwood-based Independent Coach that provides the buses for the Lawrence School District did not return a call for comment, but Lawrence Transportation Supervisor Jeremy Feder said the buses have been cleaned and the bus where the booklice was found was “out of commission” for Thursday afternoon’s runs.
“As a parent I am disgusted and upset that they even allowed my kids on the bus,” the woman said. “The only reason they checked is because of my daughter. Something needs to be done.”