Schools & Childcare

• From ADHS Guidance Document: There are two key components to reopening school buildings for in-person instruction. First is the quality of the school's mitigation plan, or the "how". This plan outlines strategies the school will implement to reduce the spread of COVID-19 among students and staff upon reopening school buildings regardless of if the building is open for on-site support services or in-person instruction. This plan must be adopted, implemented, and posted on the LEA's website before on-site support services may begin. The second is the level of spread occurring within the community, or the "when".
• Both the school's individual mitigation plan as well as degree of community spread are equally important in determining when it is safe to reopen a school building. If community transmission is low but the school and/or community mitigation strategies are not implemented, then the risk of introduction and subsequent transmission of COVID-19 in a school will increase. Alternately, if community transmission is high, but school and community mitigation strategies are implemented and strictly followed as recommended, then the risk of introduction and subsequent transmission of COVID-19 in a school will decrease.
• The ADHS further defines community spread levels with the thresholds outlined below. These thresholds are consistent with the national standards set by the Coronavirus Task Force.

Pinal County Public Health analyzes local-level school benchmarks and shares the data weekly with superintendents:

• Substantial Transmission: >100 cases per 100k, >10%% positivity, >10% COVID-like illness
• Moderate Transmission: 10-100 cases per 100k, 5%-10%% positivity, 5%-10% COVID-like illness
• Minimal Transmission: <10 cases per 100k, <5%% positivity, <5% COVID-like illness

CDC Guidance highlighting the difference between isolation and quarantine.

November 19th, 2020: The Arizona Department of Health Services (ADHS) issued an emergency measure requiring district and charter schools to immediately mandate that masks are worn on school campuses, school buses and during school-associated activities by all students, faculty, staff, contractors, and visitors.

October 29th, 2020: The Arizona Department of Health Services (ADHS) guidance document (PDF) for school benchmarks and safely returning to in-person instruction.

Need a face mask? ADHS has free face masks you can order.

Arizona School Testing Program - FAQs