Yes, staff and students must wear masks when they are on the bus or in a school building, per the Governor’s order. Masks are our first layer of protection in keeping people safe.

We understand masks may not be medically possible for all students. Please view our mask exemption policy by clicking here.

Please view our mask exemption policy by clicking here.

Yes, our second layer of protection after masks is hand washing. We will be sure that all students and staff wash their hands and sanitize many times during the school day. Sanitizer will be available in all buildings and classrooms.

We know that COVID-19 is transmitted by droplets which is why safety guidelines require six feet of distance be maintained in our school buildings, classrooms, hallways, and during bus transport. We will have many opportunities to help your child understand that. We will have signs, posters, and reminders on doors, walls, and floors. The school nurse will be proactively educating and reminding people to remain six feet apart.

We also encourage our CCS families to use proper respiratory etiquette--coughing and sneezing into your elbow and then sanitize after. If you use a tissue, sanitize or wash your hands after.

We have designated a health separation room in each building for any adult or student who exhibits COVID-19 symptoms and cannot immediately leave the building. The person will be required to wear their mask at all times while in the health separation room. 

READ: Student and Staff COVID-19 Isolation and Quarantine Protocol

The parent or guardian will be notified to pick up their child immediately. CCS requests the sick student be picked up within 30 minutes. If the parent or guardian is unable to pick up the student immediately, CCS asks that the parent arrange for a back-up so the child can be picked up within 30 minutes. Please arrange several alternative ways for an adult to pick up your student should he or she feel ill during the school day. Students with COVID-19 symptoms cannot ride home on the bus.

The School Nurse or staff member will complete the surveillance tracking process and notify the parent that the child must be isolated. That means the student must stay home for 10 days AND be 24 hours fever-free without medication and improvement of symptoms OR provide a health care provider documentation of a confirmed diagnosis other than COVID-19 to return earlier. If sickness is not COVID related, CCS will follow our current healthcare processes.

The School Nurse at your students' school is the point person to help you through this process in terms of the COVID-19 pandemic. The School Nurse will know how to help you if you have questions and how to help you get in contact with health care providers. 

When the district returns to in-person learning, families must notify the school if their student tests positive for COVID-19. The School Nurse will notify Columbus Public Health and conduct contact tracing within the school building to determine possible exposure and inform individuals who have been exposed accordingly. The school will notify parents of students within the same classroom, bus ride, or school activity that there is a student with a positive test, as well as the school building as a whole. The student’s name or other identifying information will remain confidential and will not be released. The student will need documentation from a healthcare provider or Columbus Public Health to return to school.

The school will notify, in writing, parents/guardians of students within the same classroom, bus ride, or school activity that there is a student with a positive test and will notify parents of the whole building through the Parent Portal messenger, parent email, text message, and phone call.

Yes, CCS has created an online COVID-19 Data Dashboard that shows the number of positive COVID-19 cases that have been reported to CCS and are associated with in-person learning or activities. The dashboard will be updated weekly with newly reported cases.

Every classroom within the District was designed with forced mechanical fresh air supply as required by building code. This even includes buildings that are nearly 100 years old. While most buildings have central forced fresh air, a number of buildings rely on individual room equipment to supply the fresh air. These buildings have central exhaust systems that help pull air from the outside through the individual room equipment. 

Other procedures the Division of Buildings and Grounds has implemented to facilitate the safe return to school buildings include:

• Using higher quality air filters than what the CDC recommends;
• Completed inspection/repairs of all exhaust fans to ensure they are operating as intended;
• Increase outside airflow into school buildings where possible;
• Constructed and installed plexiglass barriers when six-feet of social distancing is not possible;
• Flush plumbing systems to eliminate stagnant water.

All classroom furniture will be configured to adhere to the recommended social distancing guidelines (currently six feet apart). Plexiglass will only be used when it is not possible to create this six-feet of distance.