School Guidance and Updates

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School Guidance and Updates

As the educators and students prepare for the return to school, we encourage you to review the latest updates on the status of in-person education as well as available guidance in the following sections.

Additional materials may be available in the General Public Guidance resources.




Latest Updates

COVID-19 Guidance During Spring Break
Celebrating 2021 Graduates Safely
Safety Guide: Summer School & Youth Programs
2021 COVID-19 School Guidance K-12
CDC Isolation and Quarantine Guidance (12/27/21)



Roadmap to Reopening

In-person instruction is vital for the educational development and social wellbeing of children and young adults. Many working families depend on education for social support such as food, childcare, social activities, and other types of assistance. But in-person school settings heavily rely on interpersonal contacts that increase the risk for COVID-19 transmission. Also, schools are more than students. Educators, administrators, school nurses, and other adults share the educational environment with students. Reopening schools too early or without appropriate measures poses a risk to community health. The risk is particularly grave for areas that have widespread or uncontrolled community transmission.

In the absence of a widely available and distributed treatment or vaccine, the community must bring the virus under control before in-person activities can safely resume. Returning to in-person instruction must be phased, careful, make use of containment tools to reduce likelihood of outbreaks, and incorporate lessons learned. 

School officials have asked Harris County for more information to better help guide their decision making on school reopening plans. Please visit Ready Harris to view the Roadmap to Reopen Schools and the Metrics for Success.





Reopening Guidance

Refer to the resources below for guidelines and materials provided by Harris County Public Health (HCPH).


Information for Returning to School (In-Person Activities) 

School Guidance for Masks
School Guidance, Structural Practices
School Guidance, Immunizations
School Guidance, FAQs for Parents
School Guidance, Student Transportation
School Guidance, Lunches
School Guidance, Sporting Events
School Guidance, Concession Stands
Helping Students Cope With Stress
Guidelines for In-Person Events and Meetings During COVID-19

Information for Educational Programs, Educators, Harris County Superintendents, etc.

Guidance for Early Care & Education
Guidance for Museums and Libraries
COVID Reopening Benchmarks (Updated 8/11/20)
School Interactions and Isolation Protocols
Contact Tracing in Schools
Roadmap to Reopening Schools
Bus Driver Safety Tips


General Guidelines For COVID-19 Safety and Procedures

For more information about safety measures to help prevent the spread of COVID-19, please refer to General Public Guidance.

Guidance for Using Masks (PDF)
Social Distancing and the Breathing Zone: Why 6 FT of Distance?
Temperature Check Procedure



Reporting COVID-19 Cases

In the event that a staff member or student is suspected of or has tested positive for Coronavirus (COVID-19), administration should complete the forms below and submit to [email protected].

  • In the COVID-19 School Reporting Form, provide information for the individual. If this person has tested positive for COVID-19, it is encouraged to include testing details in the appropriate fields.
  • The COVID-19 School Reporting - Contact List Form should be used to list those individuals with whom this person has recently made contact.

COVID-19 School Reporting Form
COVID-19 School Reporting - Contact List Form



Resources for School Staff

Information, guidance, and training videos are available for staff of the Harris County school system. Find them here.






Additional Resources

For those who have questions about school reopenings in Harris County, please contact [email protected].