Using science and data as our guide, our goal is to maintain and prioritize in-person learning while also keeping our students and staff as healthy and safe as possible. 

Here are a few reminders as students and staff return to school in 2022. 

• Schools will open on Tuesday, January 4, for in-person learning. Students and staff should always wear masks, except when eating or drinking. Some early-start schools open Monday; all other schools have a teacher workday. In keeping with state law, the school board will continue to vote monthly on the masking requirement.
• Students and staff should stay home if they’re sick. Anyone experiencing COVID-19 symptoms should stay home. Anyone experiencing cold or flu symptoms should stay home and contact their healthcare provider for guidance. Anyone experiencing COVID-19 symptoms should wait to get a PCR test for COVID-19 between days three to five. 
• Students and staff should also continue to practice good hand hygiene and sneezing/coughing etiquette and maintain physical distance of three feet or more where possible. Students and staff should avoid congregating in shared spaces.
• Buildings will continue to be cleaned daily. Classrooms and spaces used by someone with a confirmed case of COVID-19 will be disinfected. Water fountains remain closed.
• Suspected and confirmed cases of COVID-19 will continue to be reported immediately by principals/supervisors to public health officials via the secure portal. Contact tracing is conducted by public health officials, including school nurses, in partnership with GCS administrative personnel.
• Parents who can drive their children to school are encouraged to do so given the ongoing bus driver shortage. 
• Employees and students are encouraged to get vaccinated against COVID-19 and should contact their healthcare providers or public health for additional information. Free shots are available at multiple community locations. 
• For more details and specific guidelines for various activities, please see the district’s coronavirus website, here.

Isolation and Quarantine Periods

• Isolation and quarantine protocols are determined by Guilford County Public Health in accordance with recommendations from the NCDHHS and the CDC.
• Per the new guidance, isolation and quarantine periods have been reduced from 10 to 5 days from the date a positive test result was received, the onset of symptoms or a possible exposure to someone with a confirmed case of COVID-19.

For additional details, please see the December 30, 2021, edition of the NCDHHS Strong Schools NC Toolkit (K-12).

CDC guidance on quarantine and isolation periods can be found here.