K-12 School Guidance
Portage County Health District School Guidance
PCHD School ReStart Guidance (07/20/2020)
Ohio Department of Health Orders & Sector Specific Guidance
On September 4, 2020 ODH issued a Director’s Order Requiring Reporting and Notification Regarding COVID-19 Cases in Kindergarten through Twelfth Grade Schools.
- Complete listing of orders, click here
- Sector Specific School Guidance: school reporting guidance, sample templates for case notification, and printable posters
ODH & ODE COVID-19 Health Prevention
- School Nurses
- Additional Facial Covering Information click here
- Health & Prevention guidelines information click here.
Ohio Department of Education's (ODE)
ReSet and ReStart Education Planning for Schools
ReSet and ReStart Education Planning is intended to spur local-level, partnership-based discussions and decision-making in areas critical to the start of the 2020-2021 school year by sharing a coordinated and collaborative approach for codesigning and framing various considerations in planning the Reset and Restart of Ohio's schools.
- ODE Letter to Ohio's Education Community
- Planning Guide for Ohio Schools and Districts
- ODH & ODE COVID-19 Health and Prevention Guidance for Ohio K-12 Schools
- Reset and ReStart Education Website
CDC K-12 Schools Guidance
- CDC Checklists for Teachers and Parents
CDC K-12 Administrators Guidance
- Guidance for K-12 School Administrators on the Use of Cloth Face Coverings in Schools (Updated August 11, 2020)
- Preparing K-12 School Administrators for a Safe Return to School in Fall 2020 (updated August 26, 2020)
- FAQs for School Administrators on Reopening Schools (Updated July 24, 2020)
- Interim Considerations for K-12 School Administrators for Sar-CoV-2 Testing (Updated June 30, 2020)
Fire Safety Guidance for Schools During COVID-19
American Academy of Pediatrics
The American Academy of Pediatrics states that, "Schools are fundamental to child and adolescent development and well-being and provide our children and adolescents with academic instruction, social and emotional skills, safety, reliable nutrition, physical/speech and mental health therapy, and opportunities for physical activity, among other benefits. Beyond supporting the educational development of children and adolescents, schools play a critical role in addressing racial and social inequity." For the latest guiding principles, click here.
Graduation Guidance
The Portage County Health District, Ohio Department of Education and the Ohio Department of Health urge school districts to be thoughtful and careful in choosing and planning the best way to celebrate graduation and other milestones. Several options are available and can be successfully implemented all while keeping safe practices in mind.
Reccommended approaches include: Virtual Graduations, Structured and Controlled In-Person Graduation Ceremonies, Drive-thru Graduations, and Single Family In-Person Graduations. Guidance is available on the ODH COVID-19 website (click here)
- ODH Statement on Graduation Parties (04/29/2020)
- COVID-19 Guidance for Graduation Ceremonies: Protecting Against COVID-19 (04/2020)
Graduation Parties
The Portage County Health District, Ohio Department of Education and the Ohio Department of Health reminds graduates that the current ODH Director's Updated and Revised Order for Business Guidance and Social Distancing prohibits gatherings of more than ten (10) people unless other wise exempted by subsequent the order.
Additional Resource
- Social and Emotional Learning Roadmap
- CDC Colleges and Universities: Plan, Prepare, and Respond (updated 05/07/2020)
- Interim Guidance for Administrators of U.S. K-12 Schools and Child Care Programs (PDF)
- Interim Guidance for Administrators of U.S. Institutions of Higher Education
- Institutes of Higher Education: FAQs for Administrators
- ODE Remote Learning Resource Guide
- US Department of Education COVID-19 Information and Resources for Schools and School Personnel
- Supplemental Fact Sheet Addressing the Risks of COVID-19 in Preschool, Elementary and Secondary Schools While Serving Children with Disabilities
- US Department of Education (DOE) webpage
- K-12 School: English COVID-19 ODH Checklists , Chinese COVID-19 Checklists, Spanish COVID-19 Checklists
- University and Colleges COVID-19 Checklists
- University and College Move-Outs: Protect Against COVID-19