School Support

Public Health Order requiring facial coverings in all individuals aged 2 years and older in schools and child care settings has been extended through Jan. 31, 2022. Review the Order and frequently asked questions on our Public Health Order webpage. Complete our COVID-19 school masking form to report your concerns.

School Leaders and Staff

This webpage is to support our school leaders and staff. Parent resources can be found on our page for Parents of School-Aged Children. Our school task force works with local schools and district leaders to provide COVID-19 support and resources. Continue to refer to this page for updated information as things change often.

Contact Covidschools@tchd.org for all schools in Adams and Arapahoe Counties. We provide guidance details, answer questions, and facilitate the process of reporting positive cases in your school.

CDC and CDPHE Guidance

We recommend the following COVID-19 guidance for schools in our counties:

CDC guidance for K-12 Settings
CDPHE’s Practical Guide for Operationalizing CDC’s School Guidance for K-12 Settings

Isolation and Quarantine Guidance

TCHD Isolation and Home Care Guidance
CDC's shortened Isolation and Quarantine Guidance.
CDC has provided additional background on their shortened isolation and quarantine guidance.

In-Person Learning

We support in-person learning in our schools. Promoting safe, in-person instruction continues to be a priority.

Covid-19 Vaccines

Vaccination is the leading public health prevention strategy to prevent COVID-19 outbreaks in schools. Promoting vaccination can help schools safely conduct in-person learning as well as extracurricular activities and sports.

COVID-19 vaccines are safe and effective. Students and staff who are up-to-date with their vaccines and boosters are well-protected from serious illness from a COVID-19 infection.
Quarantine for asymptomatic students and staff is based on vaccination status. Vaccinated individuals are not required to quarantine after a COVID-19 exposure.

Universal Masking in Schools

CDC recommends universal indoor masking by students, staff, and visitors to K-12 schools, regardless of vaccination status. Due to high transmission rates in our communities, we currently require universal masking in all school settings.

The Colorado Department of Education distributes masks at no cost to Colorado schools who opt into their Masks for Colorado Program.
The shortened isolation period applies only to students and staff who are asymptomatic and can mask while attending school on days 6-10 of isolation/quarantine.

Symptom Based Strategies

In line with CDC guidance, we reduced the recommended isolation period for positive cases to 5 days - if no symptoms are present on day 5.

One of the best ways to control the spread of illness in schools is for students and staff to remain at home if they are sick.
If symptoms are present on day 5, then the sick individual is still infectious and should remain at home until they are feeling better, and fever-free without the use of medications, for 24 hours.

Resources for School Illness Policies

We recommend the following resources for school illness policy development:

CDPHE’s How Sick is Too Sick
CDPHE Guidelines for Childcare Providers and Healthcare Consultants, School Nurses and other Personnel

Parents and Guardians of School-Aged Children

We are working daily with schools and districts in Adams and Arapahoe Counties to keep your kids healthy at school. If you have a question or concern about your specific school, reach out to your school or district leaders for more information.

Free Well-Being Support Line Resource

Call or text the free Well-Being Support Line for all educators and school employees including ECE, K-12 programs, and higher education. This is provided by the University of ColoradoAnschutz Medical Campus.

The support line is available to any educator across the state including teachers, administrators, para-professionals, health care teams, and support staff.