Ready Schools

Oregon schools are getting ready for students to return to the classroom this fall. For students and families, this can be a mix of stress, excitement and opportunity. This may be especially true for families and students who have personally experienced the deep impact of COVID-19, including those who are Black, Latinx, Indigenous, LGBTQ2SIA+, living with a disability, or living in a rural community.

 

To promote simple ways for students, staff, parents and households to join the collective effort to reduce spread of the highly-transmissible Delta variant, the Oregon Department of Education (ODE) and the Oregon Health Authority (OHA) offer 5 health and safety tips for students and families.

Care and Connection

It’s important we all show up with care and connection for each other as we begin the new school year together. ODE’s Care and Connection campaign is helping students and staff build relationships and lay the foundation for the year ahead. Read more about ODE’s Care and Connection campaign.

To help prepare for the next school year, mental health resources and guidance for students, families and school professionals are available on our website:

• Resources for students and families
• Resources for educators and school staff
• Resources for administrators, school counselors, and other mental health professionals

Fall Requirements

As school districts across Oregon finalize their own plans for the upcoming school year, each district’s approach must:

Have a plan:School districts must have a communicable disease management plan that describes the measures they’ve taken to limit the spread of COVID-19 in their schools.

Stay home if exposed: School officials are required to exclude any staff or student whom they suspect has been exposed to COVID-19, and will work closely with local public health to determine exposures.

Isolate if sick: If a student gets sick during the day, schools must have a space for that student to rest and be monitored by staff until they are able to go home.

Wear a face covering: The Oregon Health Authority’s statewide rule for 2021-22 school year requires face coverings in all indoor school settings, both public and private, for all individuals two years and older, including all students, staff, contractors, volunteers and visitors.

Note: Per federal mandate, passengers and drivers must wear a face covering on school buses, including on buses operated by public and private school systems.

ODE’s Resiliency Framework for the 2021-22 school year focuses on advisory health and safety recommendations. The majority of health and safety protocols are advisory, meaning school districts, public charter schools and private schools will have the option to implement, as appropriate. This will allow flexibility for school districts to design their own return to school plans that best meet the needs of their community.

Your local school district

Local school districts are in charge of setting health and safety rules. Find information on your school district’s plan by finding your local school district below:

Learn more about schools and COVID-19

Questions or concerns? Here are a few resources for more information.

Ready Schools, Safe Learners: Resiliency Framework for the 2021-22 School Year.

For more information, resources and protocols, visit our Ready Schools, Safe Learners page.

Feedback and Input

If you have questions about the RSSL guidance, please contact the Oregon Department of Education.

If you believe a school is not in compliance with the RSSL guidance you can file a named or confidential complaint with Oregon OSHA at 1-833-604-0884 or online. The OSHA complaint process is open to staff, students, families and community members. School safety and other COVID-19 school related questions can be answered by emailing us.

اللغة العربية (Arabic) | 繁體中文 (Traditional Chinese) | Русский (Russian) | Af Soomaali (Somali) | Español (Spanish) | Tiếng Việt (Vietnamese)