School Guidance

full Opening Guidance for Schools

Latest Updates



With school back in session, protecting the health and safety of students and school staff is a top priority. Clay County Public Health Center is always in close communication with school district leaders and staff to help provide evidence-based guidance to make the school environment as safe as possible. 

Fall 2022 School Guidance

(updated 10/20/22)




February 25, 2021: 
CDC does not require wearing of masks on buses or vans operated by public or private school systems, including early care and education/child care programs. Learn more

August 11:
Via a virtual meeting with one hour of public comment, the Clay County Board of Health discussed, voted and approved the COVID-19 and On-Site Learning Guidance for Schools & Early Childcare Centers, with minor edits.

In summary, Clay County Public Health Center strongly recommends masks be worn by all personnel present in K-12 schools to protect in person learning as students return to full in person learning this fall.

The video recording of the Board meeting can be found here

August 2: 
The Clay County Board of Health met in person at the health center to discuss the COVID-19 and On-Site Learning Guidance for Schools & Early Childcare Centers. After over 2.5 hours of public commentary, the board tabled the vote in order to discuss certain points of the guidance with additional medical professionals.

June 10:
Clay County Public Health Center shares updates regarding school guidance. See the Full Onsite Learning Guidance Update and the Interim Return-to-School & Early Childcare Guidance. Please inquire with your student's school district for how these updates may affect your child.

May 20: The Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) released updated guidance for schools.

May 13: Children ages 12 and older can now be vaccinated against COVID-19. Students and parents can find local options to get vaccinated with the Pfizer vaccine on our Where to Get Vaccinated page.

March 3, 2021: Full Opening Guidance for Schools
After evaluation of several studies on in-school transmission of COVID-19, as well as evaluation of local in-school transmission data based on case investigations & contact tracing, school districts may consider returning to on site learning for 3, 4, or 5 days per week, provided in-school transmission rates remain low, community transmission remains below 100 new cases per 100,000 population over the course of 7 days, and schools are able to successfully implement active mitigation measures. CCPHC recognizes that each school district may have additional planning and/or safety requirements they choose to implement before expanding their current in-person learning schedule.


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Additional Guidance

Additional guidance for a safe return to school can also be found with:


School COVID-19 Data

Clay County Public Health Center's COVID-19 Hub now features a Gating Criteria Dashboard. It provides the latest status for each criterion used in the Kansas City Regional Gating Criteria Considerations for Elementary, Middle and High Schools.

The largest school districts in Clay County have also created their own district-specific dashboards, providing updates on student/staff cases and quarantines.