CDC response_CCSSO CGCS_K-12 Operational Strategy_March 2021-s
When the CDC released its updated Operational Strategy for K-12 Schools in February, CCSSO fielded several questions from states related to the guidance around physical distancing. CDC officials offered during our webinar on Feb. 19 to clarify this guidance in writing to any state or district that requested. CCSSO worked with the Council of the Great City Schools to seek this clarification on behalf of all state members and large-city school districts. We received the attached clarification from CDC and hope that it is helpful in your work to reopen schools and keep them open.
In particular, the letter states the following, “Schools that are open for in-person instruction (either fully open or hybrid) may decide to remain open even at high (red) levels of community transmission. These decisions should be guided by information on school-specific factors such as mitigation strategies implemented and the number of cases among students, teachers, and staff. A decision to remain open should involve considerations for further strengthening mitigation strategies and continuing to monitor cases to reassess decisions. This should also be driven by a “classroom-first” approach; in-person instruction should be prioritized over extracurricular activities including sports and school events, a common source of school transmission, to minimize risk of transmission in schools and protect in-person learning.”