Several studies from the 2020-2021 school year show low COVID-19 transmission levels among students in schools that had less than 6 feet of physical distance when the school implemented and layered other prevention strategies, such as the use of masks.

ECDOH strongly recommends schools to maintain at least 3 feet of physical distance between students within classrooms combined with mask wearing, to reduce transmission risk, regardless of vaccination status. When determining close contact status following an exposure within a classroom, unvaccinated students within 3 feet from the positive COVID-19 case for a cumulative total of 15 minutes or more over a 24-hour period during a time the case was infectious will be quarantined regardless if masks were worn. As per Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines, fully vaccinated individuals who are identified as close contacts are not subject to quarantine.

Additional Notes for Iroquois’s Implementation

All classrooms must maintain seating charts and records to track student locations for the purpose of determining the 15-minute exposure.

ECDOH strongly recommends schools to maintain at least 6 feet of physical distance between teachers/staff and students combined with mask wearing, to reduce transmission risk, regardless of vaccination status. ECDOH recognizes that distance may be harder to maintain in lower grade levels wherein personal instruction is often necessary. Teachers/staff should carefully monitor staff breaks and meetings, maintaining 6 feet of distancing and adhering to masking at all times, regardless of an individual’s vaccination status. When determining close contact status following an exposure, unvaccinated teachers/staff within 6 feet from the positive COVID-19 case for a cumulative total of 15 minutes or more over a 24-hour period during a time the case was infectious will be considered exposed.

Additional Notes for Iroquois’s Implementation

All personnel shall monitor their location and duration of time to assist in tracking. 

Practice and Lessons: ECDOH recommends that individuals participating in activities which involve projecting the voice (e.g., singing) or playing a wind instrument be 6 feet apart during practice and lessons.

Performances: ECDOH recommends, to the extent practicable, that individuals participating in activities that involve projecting the voice (e.g., singing) or playing a wind instrument be 6 feet apart during all performances. ECDOH further recommends at least 6 feet of distance between the performers and the audience during all performances.

ECDOH strongly recommends:

• maintaining a daily seating and attendance chart for the identification of close contacts,
• keeping students from the same household in the same seats,
• students from different household should not share seats, and
• loading buses back to front.

Cohorting means keeping people together in a small group and having each group stay together throughout an entire day. Cohorting limits the spread of COVID-19 between groups.

ECDOH strongly recommends:

• cohorting students to limit potential exposure to the COVID-19 virus,
• taking measures to prevent intermingling between cohorts (e.g., separation by appropriate physical distancing, particularly if there are multiple cohorts in one area),
• making efforts to ensure that cohorts are fixed – meaning contain the same students, and
• maintaining seating charts and attendance for each cohort for the identification of close

Faculty may instruct more than one cohort so long as appropriate physical distancing is maintained.

Additional Notes for Iroquois’s Implementation

The primary level shall cohort by grade level. The Middle School level shall cohort by grade level Team. High School does not have the ability to cohort due to course offerings.