Considerations for Prioritizing Additional Strategies

Core infection prevention strategies are important strategies for schools to use every day. For additional strategies, schools, with help from local health departments, should consider local context when selecting strategies to prioritize for implementation of additional infectious disease prevention strategies. Schools need to balance the risk of infectious disease spread with educational, social, and mental health outcomes when deciding which prevention strategies to put in place. Care can be taken so that decisions related to layered prevention strategies and learning options do not disproportionately affect any group of people or worsen health and education disparities.

Local factors to consider include:

• Pathogen of concern and level of impact on community and community members: Schools should work closely with local health departments to stay updated on the latest data on disease spread in the community and its impact on the local healthcare and hospital system, and any changes to recommended prevention strategies for specific illnesses. When schools are considering increasing the use and number of prevention strategies, they can take into account the extent to which students are at risk for getting very sick or have vulnerable family members as well as if the community is experiencing an outbreak or if there is an epidemic or pandemic occurring.
• Age of population served: When the population served consists mainly of young children, layered prevention strategies that are most suitable can be given special consideration. For example, young children may have difficulty wearing a well-fitting mask consistently and correctly. For these reasons, layering the prevention strategies described above—such as, taking steps for cleaner air and avoiding crowded spaces—can help protect young children.
• Students with disabilities: Federal disability laws require an individualized approach for working with children and youth with disabilities consistent with the child’s individual educational plan (IEP), Section 504 plan, or Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP). Consistent with applicable federal and state laws, reasonable modifications or accommodations, when necessary, must be provided to ensure equal access to in-person learning for students with disabilities. Administrators can consider adding the additional prevention strategies described above to accommodate the health and safety of students with disabilities and protect their civil rights and equal access to safe in-person learning.
• People at increased risk of getting very sick: Schools can also consider the needs of people who may be at risk of getting very sick with certain illnesses or who have family members or others they spend time with who are at risk for getting very sick (e.g., people with immunocompromising conditions). Some students and staff may choose additional protections to ensure they can remain safely in the classroom, for example, wearing masks during times of high illness rates or absences.
• Availability of resources: Availability of resources, such as funding, personnel, or testing materials, vary by community. Schools can prioritize strategies for responding to an outbreak based on available resources. Alternatively, they can focus resources on select, at-risk sites within the school. Schools can partner with their local health departments to ensure they have the most up to date public health information and access to resources provided by their health department.