- Columbus City Schools
- Health Hub
2021-2022 School Year Info
General Questions
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What are the health and safety guidelines the District will follow?
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 are optional for all students, staff and visitors in CCS buildings and on school buses beginning Tuesday, March 8, 2022. Any student or staff member may wear a mask inside CCS buildings, during class and during extracurricular activities if they choose to do so.
- Maintain at least 3 foot 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.
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How often will the District update its COVID-19 mitigation plan?
The District will continue to monitor public health guidance and update its health and safety protocols accordingly as new information becomes available.
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What is proper respiratory hygiene/cough etiquette?
- 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.
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What is the plan for breakfast and lunch in the cafeteria?
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.
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What are the health and safety protocols for sports activities and extracurricular activities?
Sports activities, practices, and extracurricular activities, including the marching band and drill team, have resumed in accordance with all health and safety guidelines. Participants must follow CCS Isolation protocols if they test positive. CCS also recommends that participants follow ODH’s Test to Play guidelines if they are a close contact of a positive COVID-19 case.
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What are the protocols regarding shared community spaces?
Student lockers will be used; at least 3 feet social distancing when practical.
Restrooms and lunchroom: at least 3 feet social distancing when practical.
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Will the District allow community use of CCS buildings and grounds?
On Thursday, March 10, 2022, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) changed Franklin County's COVID-19 Community Level to green (or Low).
In response, on April 1, 2022, Columbus City Schools' classrooms and school activities may return to pre-pandemic routines and structures.
We will also return to our pre-COVID-19 visitor policy.
Masks/Mitigation Strategies
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Will the District require masks?
Masks are optional for all students, staff, and visitors in CCS buildings and on school buses as of Tuesday, March 8, 2022. Masking recommendations may change based on COVID-19 Community Levels as provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Individuals are encouraged to make masking decisions based on their unique situation and level of health risk.
Students and staff who test positive for COVID-19 will be required to mask if they return to school/work on days 6-10 of their isolation period.
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What is the proper way to wear a mask?
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Is hand washing required?
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.
Quarantine
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What is the latest guidance from ODH for schools?
Click HERE to see the Ohio Department of Health Mask to Stay and Test to Play recommendations for schools.
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How do I determine when to keep my child at home?
Please keep your child home and get them tested if they are experiencing symptoms associated with COVID-19 according to this list:
- Fever 100.4 F or greater.
- Diarrhea/Nausea/Vomiting
- New or worsened cough
- New onset severe headache
- Shortness of breath
- Congestion/runny nose
- Sore throat
- Fatigue/ Body Aches
- New loss of taste and or smell
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What are the COVID-19 isolation and exposure protocols?
The District will continue to follow CPH, ODH, and CDC requirements for isolation of those who test positive for COVID-19 or who exhibit symptoms of COVID-19.
- 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.
- When a member of the CCS community is in close contact with a positive COVID-19 case, CCS will recommend that contacts follow the Ohio Department of Health’s exposure guidance.
- Students and staff who are exposed at school or in the community may return to their school building as long as they remain asymptomatic.
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All close contacts should continue to monitor for symptoms for 14 days after close contact with a person with COVID-19 even though quarantine is not required.
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Can a student ride the bus home if they are showing symptoms of COVID-19?
No, a student is not permitted to ride on a school bus to get home if they are showing symptoms of COVID-19.
The school nurse or designee will determine if the student is exhibiting COVID-19 symptoms consistent with the ODH algorithm. If they are showing symptoms of the COVID-19 virus, the student will be transitioned to the school’s designated separation room.
The building principal or school staff member will call the parent/guardian to pick up the student as soon as possible.
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How will student absences be handled if they add up due to illness and/or quarantine?
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.
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What should I do if one child tests positive and must quarantine but the other is not exposed/quarantined?
Students no longer have to quarantine at home after an exposure. However, if one child is isolating at home due to illness, they should distance from the rest of the household as able and wear a mask around others as able. Siblings may continue to attend school as long as they do not have symptoms of COVID-19.
Testing/Vaccines
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Will CCS provide free at-home rapid COVID-19 tests for students and staff?
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.
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Are students and staff required to get the COVID-19 vaccine?
No. The District strongly encourages anyone eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine, including staff, students, and community, to get vaccinated.
Tracking/Reporting
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Why doesn’t the CCS COVID-19 Dashboard show data points that are fewer than 10?
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.
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When is the COVID-19 Dashboard updated?
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.
HVAC Systems
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What will CCS do for the buildings that do not currently have air conditioning?
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:
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Increasing Circulation
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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.
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Custodians will open windows and turn on fans early, so the air is circulating even before the entire staff and students arrive.
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Efficient Ventilation
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Ventilation systems will bring fresh air into the building.
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All CCS buildings have ventilation systems in place even if there is no building-wide air conditioning.
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CCS will use MERV-13 air filters, which are efficient at capturing airborne viruses, in its buildings where possible.
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Creative Learning Spaces
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Schools have the autonomy to be creative with their learning spaces, taking advantage of outdoor learning opportunities, during the warmer weather.
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We also encourage staff and students to take regular “mask breaks” outdoors when possible.
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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.
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Hydration
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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.
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Will CCS provide appropriate air filters and ventilation in its school buildings?
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.
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How do CCS school building HVAC systems align with CDC guidance on ventilation?
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.
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What ventilation is happening in each non-MERV 14 filter building? How it is adequate to protect against Covid transmission?
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.
School Building Name
General System Type Installed
SPECIALS
SPECIALS
Colerain ES
Central air handlers and individual room units
Columbus Gifted Academy
Central air handlers and individual room units
Linden Park NECEC
Individual room units
HIGH SCHOOLS
HIGH SCHOOLS
Beechcroft HS
Central air handlers
Briggs HS
Central air handlers
Centennial HS
Central air handlers
Columbus Alternative HS
Central air handlers and individual room units
Columbus International
Individual room units
Eastmoor Academy
Individual room units
Independence HS
Central air handlers
Marion-Franklin HS
Central air handlers and individual room units
Mifflin HS
Central air handlers
Northland HS
Central air handlers and individual room units
Walnut Ridge HS
Individual room units
West HS
Central air handlers
Whetstone HS
Central air handlers and individual room units
MIDDLE SCHOOLS
MIDDLE SCHOOLS
Buckeye MS
Individual room units
Cols City Prep for Boys
Individual room units
Cols City Prep for Girls
Central air handlers
Dominion MS
Central air handlers
Hilltonia MS
Individual room units
Indianola Informal K-8
Central air handlers
Johnson Park MS
Individual room units
Medina MS
Individual room units
Mifflin MS
Central air handlers and individual room units
Ridgeview MS
Individual room units
Sherwood MS
Individual room units
Westmoor MS
Individual room units
Woodward Park MS
Individual room units
Woodward Park @ Walden
Individual room units
World Language MS
Individual room units
Yorktown MS
Individual room units
ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS
ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS
Alpine ES
Central air handlers
Avalon ES
Central air handlers
Broadleigh ES
Individual room units
Cassady ES
Dedicated outside air system
Como ES
Central air handlers
Cranbrook ES
Individual room units
Devonshire ES
Dedicated outside air system
Duxberry Park ES
Individual room units
Eakin ES
Individual room units
Easthaven ES
Individual room units
Fairwood ES
Central air handlers and individual room units
Forest Park ES
Individual room units
Gables ES
Central air handlers
Hamilton STEM Academy
Dedicated outside air system
Highland ES
Individual room units
Hubbard Mastery
Central air handlers
Indian Springs ES
Individual room units
Innis ES
Central air handlers
Lindbergh ES
Dedicated outside air system
Maize ES
Individual room units
Moler ES
Individual room units
North Linden ES
Individual room units
Northtgate Intermediate
Central air handlers
Northtowne ES
Individual room units
Parkmoor ES
Central air handlers
Salem ES
Individual room units
Scottwood ES
Individual room units
Siebert ES
Individual room units
South Mifflin ES
Central air handlers
Valley Forge ES
Individual room units
Valleyview ES
Individual room units
West Broad ES
Central air handlers and individual room units
West Mound ES
Individual room units
Westgate ES
Central air handlers
Windsor STEM
Individual room units
Winterset ES
Individual room units
Woodcrest ES
Dedicated outside air system