Health and safety protocols implemented last school year are recommended to continue to the greatest extent possible for the 2021-2022 school year, including ventilation filtration and outdoor air exchange and flow.  

• Masks required for all students on the bus and in school buildings with or without vaccination;
• Masks required for all staff in school buildings and administrative sites with or without vaccination;
• At least 3 feet social distancing when practical;

• Handwashing and hand sanitizing regularly (hand sanitizer will be available in all buildings and classrooms);
• Water fountains will not be used; bottled water will be provided; the use of refillable water bottles is encouraged;
• School visitors will be restricted to parents/guardians and the District’s student support partners; visitors will be required to wear masks;
• Masks are NOT required outside of the building; this includes outdoor recess or outdoor field trips;
• Any student or staff member can wear a mask during outdoor activities if they choose to do so.

Updates regarding the District’s back-to-school reopening plans can be found at www.ccsoh.us/BacktoSchool.

• The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that all people, vaccinated or not, wear masks indoors. The agency also recommended children wear masks in schools this fall.
• Ohio Department of Health (ODH) strongly recommends that schools implement masking for students layered with other prevention strategies to protect people who are not fully vaccinated.
• The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends universal masking in schools for everyone over the age of 2, regardless of vaccination status (unless an exemption is received for medical or developmental conditions).
• The U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) has issued a federal regulation that requires masking on all public transportation vehicles, which includes school buses.

The District will continue to monitor public health guidance and update its health and safety protocols accordingly as new information becomes available.

• In your elbow when coughing or sneezing;
• In a tissue and throw away immediately after use;
• In your mask;
• Wash/sanitize hands after any of the above.

The process for breakfast and lunch in the cafeteria is determined on a building-by-building basis. Check with your student’s principal for information specific to their school.

Sports activities, practices, and extracurricular activities, including the marching band and drill team, will resume in accordance with all health and safety guidelines.

Indoor spectators will be required to wear masks; this includes students who are not actively participating in the activity; 6 feet of social distancing for spectators is recommended.

Students participating in outdoor activities are NOT required to wear masks; this includes spectators; 6 feet of social distancing for spectators is recommended.

Masks are required for students, staff, and visitors.

Student lockers will be used; at least 3 feet social distancing when practical.

Restrooms: at least 3 feet social distancing when practical.

Community use of Columbus City Schools’ buildings by outside organizations and entities is suspended until further notice.

Community use of Columbus City Schools’ outdoor grounds by outside organizations and entities is permitted. Requests should be submitted via Facilitron.

School visitors will be restricted to parents/guardians and the District’s student support partners will be required to wear masks.

Yes. The District will require all students, staff, and visitors to wear masks regardless of vaccination status inside buildings and on school buses for the start of the 2021-2022 school year based on guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), recommendations from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and the Ohio Department of Health (ODH), and in consultation with Columbus Public Health (CPH).

When you wear a mask properly — over your nose and mouth — it blocks the tiny virus-filled respiratory droplets that you push out. That means that there are fewer of those respiratory droplets for someone else to breathe in. To learn more about how masks work and why they are an effective way to mitigate the spread of COVID-19, click Ohio Department of Health: Why Masks Work - COVID-19 for information on the most recent scientific studies.

• The AAP recommends universal masking because a significant portion of the student population is not yet eligible for vaccines, and masking is proven to reduce transmission of the virus and to protect those who are not vaccinated. 
• The CDC recommends that all people, regardless of vaccination status, should wear masks indoors because vaccinated individuals are able to spread the COVID-19 virus.
• Combining layers of protection that include vaccinations, masking, and clean hands hygiene will make in-person learning safe and possible for everyone.
• Research has shown that opening schools generally does not significantly increase community transmission with maskingand other safety measures in place.
• It is important to use every tool in our toolkit to safeguard children from COVID-19. Universal masking is one of those tools and has been proven effective in protecting people against other respiratory diseases, as well. 
• Masking is also the most effective strategy to create consistent messages and expectations among students without the added burden of needing to monitor everyone’s vaccination status.

No. The CDC does not recommend desk dividers or sneeze guards in the classroom.

Unless an exemption applies that would allow a student, staff, or visitor to attend in-person without a mask, wearing appropriate masks is mandatory in all school buildings. Parents who believe that these exemptions apply to their children can access the Mask Exemption Form by viewing or downloading the form below. As with all mask exemption requests, a doctor’s recommendation/order will be required.

Prior to approval of the exemption request, the individual in question must wear a mask when in a school building.   

Those who receive an exemption may be more susceptible to both COVID-19 spread and potential quarantine as that student will not have the same level of protection as those who wear face masks.

Guidance for families seeking information regarding face mask exemptions can visit the Columbus City Schools Mask Exemption Guidelines.

Yes. The second layer of protection after masks is hand washing. We will ensure that all students and staff wash their hands and sanitize many times during the school day. All schools and District administrative buildings will have hand sanitizer available.

Masks

• Explain why we are wearing masks;
• Wear a mask yourself;
• Put a mask on stuffed animals;
• Start with the student wearing a mask for a few seconds to a few minutes to more time;
• Social Distancing;
• Mark 3 feet distance on floors at home and play a game.

Hand Washing

• Practice hand washing and singing the ABC song for 20 seconds or Twinkle, Twinkle or the Birthday song twice.

CCS will require all students, staff, and visitors to wear masks regardless of vaccination status inside CCS buildings and on school buses. We will continue to follow our Student Guide to Success which outlines our universal code of conduct. Our students and staff certainly have had plenty of practice with mask-wearing since this has been the expectation in our classrooms and buildings since February and through the Summer Experience program.

The Ohio Department of Health (ODH) updated its Quarantine Guidelines for schools. Columbus Public Health (CPH) fully supports implementation of this new option for schools in their jurisdiction.

The changes incorporate mask wearing and testing to reduce the chance of spreading COVID-19 and provide a safe alternative to out-of-school quarantining for students and staff.

Columbus City Schools, in consultation with Columbus Public Health, will adopt the new quarantine guidelines effective immediately for those students and staff who are identified as a close contact in the classroom or school-related environment.

CCS will continue to require universal masking indoors regardless of vaccination or quarantine status. Students and staff who are currently in quarantine due to classroom/school related exposures only will be permitted to return on Friday, October 29, as long as they have not exhibited any symptoms. If you are unsure if this applies to your situation, please reach out to your school nurse or school administrator.

Click HERE to see the guidelines.

Check your child for these symptoms before they go to school each day. You should keep your child at home if they have:

• Temperature greater than 100 degrees;
• Loss of taste or smell;
• New or worsening:
  • Sore throat;
  • Cough or difficulty breathing;
  • Runny or stuffy nose;
  • Diarrhea, nausea, or vomiting;
  • Headache, especially with a fever;
  • Body aches;
  • Fatigue.

The District will continue to follow CPH, ODH, and CDC requirements for quarantine of close contacts of COVID-19 cases:

• It is also important to note that according to the CDC, all close contacts should continue to monitor for symptoms for 14 days after close contact with a person with COVID-19, even though the quarantine period has been reduced to 10 days.
• All school buildings must identify a health separation room where a student or staff member who exhibits COVID-19 symptoms can wait until they are able to leave the building. The school should also include a plan on how the health separation room will operate.
• Starting Thursday, October 28, 2021, out-of-school quarantine is no longer required for exposed students who remain asymptomatic. Please see Mask to Stay guidelines here.
• For additional, detailed information, as well as a flow chart for guidance, click here.

Absences for illness and/or quarantine are considered "excused." While excused absences still count towards a student's limit per Ohio law, a school's attendance team would review the situation if the limit is exceeded and make an exception upon seeing the reasons for absences. A comparable example pre-pandemic is excessive absences for contracting the measles, which would exceed the legal limit but not require an attendance plan.

Per new quarantine guidelines from the Ohio Department of Health, All students in the household will be required to quarantine until the symptomatic student has been medically cleared (tested negative) or completed the required 10-day isolation. A negative COVID-19 test can allow students and their sibling(s) to return to school if they have improving symptoms and are fever free for 24 hours.

Students that are absent for extended periods of time will be able to access the curricular resources both digitally and hardcopy. Teachers can modify the daily lesson for the students at home utilizing digital resources to assign lessons. Teachers will have the option to live stream or record lessons that can be shared with their students as well.   Secondary students will be able to utilize Paper Tutoring for additional support, and schools will be able to design tutoring programs to support students in attendance and those who have had extended absences.

CCS has aggressively recruited and hired substitute teachers, including dedicated building substitutes. We continually hire substitute teachers throughout the school year as well. We are confident that we have sufficient substitutes in place to cover teacher absences.

If a teacher is absent and a substitute is not available, the school can utilize available instructional staff for coverage or combine classes following CPH health guidance to ensure students wear masks and the class potentially moves to a larger space in the building.

Yes. Columbus City Schools has partnered with Columbus Public Health (CPH) to offer a limited number of voluntary, at-home BinaxNow COVID-19 rapid test kits for any student or staff member in a school or transportation center who is symptomatic or a close contact of a positive case. Read more about the free, convenient testing option here.

If your child becomes sick with possible COVID-19 symptoms at school, they may be offered a COVID-19 test in partnership with Nationwide Children’s Hospital. Please download and return the consent form. It must be completed for your child to get a COVID-19 test. A negative COVID-19 test OR 10 days of quarantine at home is required for your child to return to school.

COVID-19 Test for Children Who Become Sick at School

When would my child be tested at school? Children may be tested if they show COVID-19-like symptoms: fever, cough, shortness of breath AND have a signed consent completed by a parent or guardian. View information on COVID-19 symptoms and when to stay at home.

Will I be called before a test happens? Children who exhibit COVID-19 symptoms will need to be picked up from school AND also meet the criteria for a COVID-19 test. If you have completed a consent form before this event, the School Nurse will call your current phone number in our records and attempt to speak with you before performing the test. However, with a completed consent form, the test can be done even if the parent/guardian cannot be reached. If you have not completed a consent form before picking up your child, you can complete one upon arrival at the school.

What if my child won’t sit still for the test? COVID-19 tests will not be done if a student refuses the test or cannot sit still for the test. In those cases, the School Nurse will refer the student to Nationwide Children’s Hospital or the student’s primary care provider for a COVID-19 test.

What is the COVID-19 test like? The COVID-19 test is a swab (like a long Q-tip) that goes up the nose for a count of 10. Again, if students are unable or unwilling to cooperate with the test, in that case, the School Nurse will refer the student to Nationwide Children’s Hospital or the student’s primary care provider for a COVID-19 test.

What happens after a POSITIVE test? You will be called with results by the school nurse and the Nationwide Children’s School Health nurse practitioner. Guidance will be given over the phone regarding quarantine and if further services are needed.

What happens if my child’s test is NEGATIVE? You will be called by the school nurse with the results and given guidance on when your child can return to school. If your child is showing COVID-19 symptoms (fever, cough, shortness of breath) outside of school, they should stay at home and not go to school.

What to do if your child is showing COVID-19 symptoms outside of school:

To schedule them for a COVID-19 test: 

• Call your primary care provider first or 
• Call the Nationwide Children’s Nurse COVID-19 Testing Line, available 6:30 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. during the week and 7:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. on weekends at (614) 722-2787 to schedule an appointment to get tested at the drive-thru testing site. You must have an appointment to receive a test, and your child must be showing symptoms.

No. The District strongly encourages anyone eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine, including staff, students, and community, to get vaccinated.

Columbus City Schools does not release any specific student data counts if the number is fewer than 10, as personal information in those instances may become identifiable. This applies to any public record that CCS releases, not just the COVID-19 Dashboard.

The CATS dashboard is updated weekly on Wednesday via OSU. School-based data for the CCS dashboard is generated and collected on Thursday. The CCS dashboard may not be updated until Friday to allow staff time to collect the data and populate the Tableau-based dashboard.

The CATS team from OSU experienced delays in getting COVID-19 data from ODH, which delayed the launch of the dashboards for all school districts that partner with CATS. The data was provided on Sept. 1, and the CCS CATS dashboard was updated subsequently.

Columbus City Schools wants to ensure that all school and classroom environments are conducive to learning. CCS will use many of the strategies that we have in previous years for increasing airflow and mitigating the heat in schools that do not have building-wide air conditioning. This includes:

• Increasing Circulation

• We try to keep the air moving in the halls and classrooms. We make every effort to have as many fans as possible in these buildings, and we have deployed additional industrial-sized fans and box fans to our buildings.

• Custodians will open windows and turn on fans early, so the air is circulating even before the entire staff and students arrive.

• Efficient Ventilation

• Ventilation systems will bring fresh air into the building.

• All CCS buildings have ventilation systems in place even if there is no building-wide air conditioning. 

• CCS will use MERV-13 air filters, which are efficient at capturing airborne viruses, in its buildings where possible.

• Creative Learning Spaces

• Schools have the autonomy to be creative with their learning spaces, taking advantage of outdoor learning opportunities, during the warmer weather. 

• We also encourage staff and students to take regular “mask breaks” outdoors when possible. 

• In some schools, while each classroom does not have A/C, there are common areas (such as the computer lab or library) that do. Schools are able to plan additional learning time in those locations.

• Hydration

• We will ensure each school building has an ample supply of bottled water on hand for students and staff.

CCS will continue to monitor the weather as it relates to the heat. We will make decisions for our schools without building-wide air conditioning that balance the health and safety of students and staff with the need to serve our students and families.

Yes, CCS will provide a safe work environment in all of its buildings. All CCS buildings have ventilation systems to bring fresh air into the building, even if there is no building-wide air conditioning. 

The CDC recommends MERV-13 or higher filters. Columbus City Schools uses MERV-14 filters in Facility Masterplan Buildings.  We utilize mechanical forced air systems to supply fresh air to every classroom. Our classrooms are designed to receive fresh air through a centralized air handling system or room-specific ventilation. Also, each K-12 music room is provided with a commercial Austin Air HealthMate Air Filter unit.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has issued various guidance documents regarding the COVID-19 pandemic. The latest update entitled “Ventilation in Buildings,” dated June 2, 2021, provided a summary of recent changes.

In this document, the CDC recommends a “layered” approach to reduce COVID exposures utilizing multiple mitigation strategies. This layered approach includes physical distancing, the wearing of face masks, hand hygiene, and vaccination in addition to building ventilation improvements. According to this guidance, these tools should be implemented at the same time to increase the effectiveness of ventilation interventions. 

This guidance also identifies ways in which building operators can improve ventilation and references a May 2020 article in the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) Journal. The guidance outlined in this article states that “social distancing, surface cleaning and disinfection, handwashing, and other strategies of good hygiene are far more important than anything related to the HVAC system.”

The recommendations from the ASHRAE article focus on increasing outdoor air ventilation, and they recommend MERV-13 filters if the HVAC system is compatible with their use.

Although filtration is an important aspect of building operations, filter selection is dictated by the design and airflow capacity of the system. Higher efficiency filters such as MERV-13 or MERV-14 filters are not appropriate for every air handling system.

Columbus City Schools uses MERV filters that are appropriate for the air handling system in each of its school buildings:

FMP Buildings

Through Segments 1, 2, and 3A, Columbus City Schools has completed the construction and/or renovation of 48 school buildings since 2004 under the Facilities Master Plan (FMP). Of these buildings:

• 45 are equipped with MERV-14 air filters
• 3 are equipped with MERV-8 air filters

Operation Fix-It Buildings

Issue 57, passed in 2016, allowed CCS to embark on a program to address deferred maintenance on non-FMP buildings in the areas of roofing repairs, HVAC overhaul, safety and security, fire alarm replacements, plumbing upgrades, asphalt and concrete, lighting upgrades, and electrical system repair and upgrades. 

The majority of our 66 non-FMP buildings have MERV-8 filters installed. Of the non-FMP buildings:

• 1 has MERV-13 filters, and 
• 65 buildings have MERV-8 filters.

Click here for a listing of all school buildings sorted by FMP and filter type.

General system type descriptions and adequacy points below:

Individual room units

• Description: Each classroom has an HVAC device, such as a unit ventilator or heat pump that individually uses fans to bring fresh, filtered air in. This fresh, filtered air is mixed with recirculated air from that room only.  
• Adequacy: Having each room generally isolated from the building makes building-wide disease transmission much less likely. Fresh air introduction into that room dilutes pollutants and reduces transmission likelihood. The primary disease spread vector continues to be short distance transmission which is not related to the building’s HVAC system.

Central air handlers

• Description: each classroom is connected to a larger system that combines rooms together, sending each of them fresh, filtered air. This fresh, filtered air travels a distance with a mix of recirculated air from multiple classrooms.
• Adequacy: The duct lengths, dilution with outside air, and dwell times in those ducts reduces the likelihood that airborne viruses survive the journey. The primary disease spread vector continues to be short distance transmission which is not related to the building's HVAC system.

Dedicated outside air system

• Description: Each classroom is connected to an HVAC device that sends 100% fresh air directly into a classroom. This works in conjunction with a separate HVAC device that recirculates air in individual rooms while adding or removing heat.
• Adequacy: Having each room generally isolated from the building makes building-wide disease transmission much less likely. Fresh air introduction into that room dilutes pollutants and reduces transmission likelihood. The primary disease spread vector continues to be short distance transmission which is not related to the building's HVAC system.

If a student is late for school due to a bus delay, it's an excused absence.

If a student misses the school day because a bus didn't pick them up, it's an excused absence--whether or not the bus ever came has to be verified with transportation. Parents should call their child’s school to provide information.