COVID-19 Guidance for Schools
Local public health agencies offer support and guidance to school districts developing plans on how best to educate students this fall while the COVID-19 pandemic continues. Missouri's Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) will allow schools to make their own individual plans under "local rule."
The Missouri School Boards' Association has provided general guidance on reopening of schools, but recognizes the diversity of Missouri's school districts will not support a one-size-fits-all approach.
CDC offers planning guidance to school boards and administrators in its K-12 Schools Toolkit.
In November 2020, Missouri's DHSS and DESE collaborated on a revised strategy to allow children to remain in the classroom rather than quarantining after exposure to COVID-19.
As parents express concern about sending their children back to school, many school districts are considering ways to offer virtual learning opportunities.
The American Academy of Pediatrics expresses concern over the losses children have experienced due to missing school during the COVID-19 pandemic.