School vision programs succeed in providing glasses but face referral challenges

Although school-based vision programs (SBVPs) successfully provide eyeglasses to most students with uncorrected refractive errors, a significant number—particularly younger students and those with high refractive errors—require referral to community eye care providers, according to a study.

The retrospective study examined data from 97,107 students aged 5-22 who underwent eye exams after failing vision screenings.

Overall, 75% of students received eyeglasses through the SBVP, while 14.3% were referred to community providers for further evaluation. Referrals were more frequent among younger students and those in schools with higher socioeconomic disadvantage. High hyperopia (OR = 7.21) and high myopia (OR = 3.70) significantly increased the likelihood of referral. The most common reasons for referral included refractive error (42.1%), suspected amblyopia (26.6%), and uncorrectable vision (26.1%).

The study underscores that while SBVPs effectively address most uncorrected refractive errors, many students require specialized care.

Reference
Ambrosino CM, Guo X, Nguyen A, et al. Practices of a United States school-based vision program in referring children to community eye care. J AAPOS. 2025;104164. doi: 10.1016/j.jaapos.2025.104164. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 40058565.