LOS ANGELES — During the pandemic, the rules for school attendance with the sniffles were clear, if a bit draconian: Keep a child home from school at any sign of illness.

Since then, school policies have softened significantly. At L.A. Unified, for example, parents are directed to send their children to school if they have a mild cold or cough. The main symptoms that require keeping a child home are fever of 100.4 and above, vomiting or diarrhea, according to district instructions on “How to Safely Send Your Student to School.”

But the rules aren’t catching on among families. “Parents still keep kids home for a light case of the common cold or some sniffles. And we’re beyond that reality,” LAUSD Supt. Alberto Carvalho said in an recent interview.

Many parents disagree — especially paren

See Full Page