The Carver County Public Health Department has given students the OK to stay in school with head lice.
The county announced its support for new guidelines from the American Academy of Pediatrics and the National School Nurse Association that children do not have to be sent home for head lice.
"Head lice can be a nuisance but they are not known to spread disease," Rod Franks, Director, Health and Human Services Division, said in a news release. "Personal hygiene or cleanliness in the home or school are not factors in getting head lice – anyone can get it."
Schools are ending policies that only allowed students to return if they no longer had nits.
School districts including Anoka-Hennepin have already removed policies excluding students with lice from school. While Carver County is allowing students to stay in school, the department suggests that schools still notify parents of lice outbreaks.
