"Any evidence of lice was once reason for immediate dismissal from school, with no return until the student's head was lice free. But "no-nit" policies have been dropped in favor of "nonexclusion" rules, prioritizing class time over any nuisance caused by the sesame seed-sized parasites. That leniency, of late, is coming back to bite some schools. Parents in Massachusetts, Texas, Ohio and Georgia are petitioning for their districts to go back to strict rules on nits and live lice."
"It's hard to know whether more inclusive policies have anything to do with isolated outbreaks because there's very little data on infestations. Public health officials see lice as a nuisance, not a health threat. Outside of small studies, data collection is scarce. The latest estimates for annual infestations in the U.S. are broad and unreliable since so many cases go unreported. The CDC puts the number between 6 million and 12 million, mostly in preschoolers and elementary school-age children."
Schools historically dismissed students at the first sign of lice and barred return until heads were clear. Many districts replaced strict no-nit policies with nonexclusion rules to prioritize class time over removing students for lice. Parents in several states have petitioned districts to reinstate exclusion rules and blame more inclusive CDC guidance for recent outbreaks. A Florida district reinstated its prior policy after repeated reinfestations among families. Public health officials view lice as a nuisance rather than a health threat, data on infestations are scarce, and the CDC estimates 6–12 million annual cases, mostly in preschool and elementary children.
Read at www.npr.org
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