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Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidance on school responses to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, 2020-2021

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Last updated: June 10, 2021

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The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Operational Strategy for K-12 Schools through Phased Prevention provides guidance for schools to mitigate coronavirus spread through in-person instruction. States and school districts have final authority over reopening decisions and do not need to implement CDC recommendations.[1]

This page summarizes answers to the following questions:

Ballotpedia’s coverage of COVID-19 includes how federal, state, and local governments are responding, and how those responses are influencing election rules and operations, political campaigns, the economy, schools, and more.


Does the CDC recommend in-person, hybrid, or online learning?

As of June 2021, CDC guidance said, “If prevention strategies are strictly adhered to, K–12 schools can safely open for in-person instruction and remain open.” The guidance recommended the following considerations for limiting in-person coronavirus transmission:

“
  • Consistent implementation of layered prevention strategies to reduce SARS-CoV-2 transmission in schools
  • Consideration of indicators of community transmission to reflect levels of community risk
  • Phased prevention strategies based on levels of community transmission[1][2]
 ”

What are the CDC’s in-person health recommendations?

The CDC recommended schools use the following prevention measures for in-person instruction:

“
  • Universal and correct use of masks
  • Physical distancing
  • Handwashing and respiratory etiquette
  • Cleaning and maintaining healthy facilities
  • Contact tracing in combination with isolation and quarantine[1][2]
 ”

Of the five measures, the guidance document instructed schools to prioritize the two following measures:

“
  • Universal and correct use of masks should be required
  • Physical distancing should be maximized to the greatest extent possible[1][2]
 ”

The CDC recommended three-foot physical distancing between elementary, middle, and high school students in areas of low community transmission. The CDC recommended six-foot distancing in the following situations:

“
  • Between adults (teachers and staff), and between adults and students, at all times in the school building. Several studies have found that transmission between staff is more common than transmission between students and staff, and among students, in schools.1
  • When masks cannot be worn, such as when eating.
  • During activities when increased exhalation occurs, such as singing, shouting, band, or sports and exercise. Move these activities outdoors or to large, well-ventilated space, when possible.
  • In common areas such as school lobbies and auditoriums.[1][2]
 ”

The document also recommended using student cohorts, changing classroom layouts to maximize distance between students, and facing desks in the same direction when possible. For more information on the CDC’s recommendations for in-person instruction, click here.

When does the CDC recommend mask-wearing for students and faculty?

The CDC recommended, “Masks should be worn at all times, by all people in school facilities, with certain exceptions for certain people, or for certain settings or activities, such as while eating or drinking. Masks should be required in all classroom and non-classroom settings, including hallways, school offices, restrooms, gyms, auditoriums, etc.”[1]

The CDC guidance did not require masks for students with disabilities that made mask-wearing unsafe. The document recommended schools should offer remote learning for students who were unable to wear a mask and properly social distance.[1]

What are the CDC’s recommendations for mitigation on school buses?

The CDC recommended distancing students on school buses. The document suggested seating one child per row in alternating rows. The CDC also recommended opening windows to improve air circulation, when possible.

Masks are required by federal order on school buses and other forms of public transportation.[1]

General resources

The chart below shows coronavirus statistics from countries across the world. The information is provided by Real Clear Politics.

Click the links below to explore official resources related to the coronavirus outbreak.


See also

Footnotes

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, "Operational Strategy for K-12 Schools through Phased Prevention," accessed June 10, 2021
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
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