National average estimates, using the national preK–12 public school enrollment of 50,685,567 students, range between an average of $55 (materials and consumables only) to $442 (all three categories) per student. The costs were evaluated in three categories: materials and consumables, additional custodial staff members and potential additional transportation. Contact tracing, although an essential strategy to reduce transmission, was not included because those costs are not typically financed by school district budgets. In mid-December, the CDC released the document, “Estimated Resource Costs for Implementation of CDC’s Recommended COVID-19 Mitigation Strategies in Pre-Kindergarten through Grade 12 Public Schools - United States, 2020–21 School Year,” which analyzes the resources needed to implement four of the five key mitigation strategies and provides estimated associated costs. Other mitigation strategies that can be used concurrently include forming cohorts of students and teachers and staggered scheduling.
Social distancing to the extent possible.Other determinate factors in assessing the risks associated with reopening schools are associated with how firmly an LEA adheres to the CDC’s five primary mitigation strategies:
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As school districts across the United States consider how to safely reopen schools, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention has provided indicators to help local educational agencies evaluate the risks associated with reopening schools for in-person instruction, including the level of community transmission.