COVID-19: Information for Schools

Make sure staff and families know where to find accurate information.

Point them to our website, Washington State Department of Health and CDC.

• Schools must follow K-12 COVID-19 Requirements the 2021-2022 School Year.
• Use these Supplemental Considerations to Mitigate COVID-19 Transmission in K-12 Schools.

Our role is to help public and private schools find the safest plan to support learning.

Template letters to send to parents.

• Child tested positive—English, Spanish.
• Return to school after COVID-19 symptoms—English, Spanish.
• Notification of exposure—English, Spanish.
• Notification of no exposure—English, Spanish.
• School closure—English, Spanish.

Helpful tools for schools.

• K-12 COVID-19 Requirements for 2021-2022 School Year
• Supplemental considerations to mitigate COVID-19 in schools.
• How to wash and reuse personal protective equipment.
• How long should you quarantine?
• CDC Resources for Teachers and staff.

Model and encourage healthy habits.

We can all take these steps to safeguard our health.

• Wash your hands often with soap and water and for at least 20 seconds.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth with unwashed hands.
• Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
• Cover your coughs and sneezes.
• Clean and disinfect objects and surfaces.
• Stay at home and away from others if you are sick.
• Get your flu shot if you haven’t yet. Flu activity in the county is still elevated.

Help reduce anxiety about COVID-19.

Teach children how they can protect themselves against illness. Evidence suggests COVID-19 is generally mild in children. Those at risk for severe illness are over age 65, have health conditions or are pregnant.

Helpful tools.

• Mary Bridge Children’s—Helping Children Cope.
• Kids Health—How to talk to talk to your child about COVID-19.
• National Public Radio’s comic strip Just for Kids: A Comic Exploring the New Coronavirus.
• Helping Children and Youth Who Have Experienced Traumatic Events—Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.

Review and update your emergency operations plan.

Update your plan to include information about COVID-19. You don’t need to start from scratch—you can update your plan from 2009’s H1N1 pandemic.

These tools can help shape your plan.

• CDC—Interim guidance for schools.
• FEMA—Guide for Developing High-Quality School Emergency Operations.
• CDC—Colleges and Universities Pandemic Influenza Checklist.
• CDC—Interim Guidance for Administrators of U.S. Institutions of Higher Education.
• OSPI—COVID-19 Guidance, Resources and School Closures

Include this information in the plan:

• Contact information for the Health Department.
• Options for virtual learning or a plan to make up days if your school closes.
• Process for sharing information with students and families.