Schools K-12

The Alabama Department of Public Health (ADPH) K-12 school page addresses the need for schools, local health departments, and healthcare providers to work together to support the goal of all students returning to school safely during the COVID-19 pandemic.

In order to ensure that ADPH county health departments are providing consistent and up-to-date information to local schools, this page provides resources and forms necessary for reporting.

View Alabama's K-12 COVID-19 School Dashboard

What's New?

News Release - ADPH continues to recommend universal indoor masking in schools to help mitigate COVID-19 (10/19/21)

Video - A Conversation about COVID-19 with Dr. Landers and Dr. Stubblefield (10/19/21)

Download Back to School Guidance 2021-2022 (Revised 09/24/21)

For a list of recent changes to the guide, see page 20. Please allow the document to download completely before attempting to open or navigate it.

View our video highlighting the changes in this updated K-12 Back to School Guidance for 2021-2022.

Screening Testing to Promptly Identify Cases, Clusters, and Outbreaks
School testing gives communities, schools, and families added assurance that schools can open and remain open safely for all students. By identifying infections early, before symptoms appear, testing helps keep COVID-19 transmission low and students in school for in-person learning, sports, and extracurricular activities. The UAB School of Public Health is currently collaborating with the Alabama Department of Public Health and the Alabama State Department of Education to offer voluntary asymptomatic COVID-19 testing in Alabama K-12 schools to students, faculty, and staff. For more information, please contact the Program’s Director Beth Johns at covidALK12@uab.edu or visit COVID Testing in Alabama K12 Schools.

REDCAP COVID-19 Report Card

ADPH has an online Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) REPORT Card that is available for reporting positive or suspected COVID-19 cases. The school nurse will need to report all known positive or suspected COVID-19 cases. Please complete the entire form at the link below.

Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) REPORT Card

Resources

• 3 Key Steps When Waiting for COVID-19 Test Results (CDC)
• AAP COVID-19 Guidance for Safe Schools
• Alabama High School Athletic Association COVID-19 Updates
• Alabama Independent School Association
• Cleaning and Disinfecting Your Facility (CDC)
• Communicable Disease Chart for Alabama's Schools and Childcare Facilities - Exclusion and Readmission Criteria for COVID-19 Cases and Close Contacts - NEW!
• COVID-19 for Parents - NEW!
• COVID-19 Resources for School Administrators, Staff and Educators - NEW!
• Exclusion and Readmission Criteria for Communicable Diseases in Schools and Childcare Centers
• Exposure Notification for Parents and Guardians
• Frequently Asked Questions about COVID-19 for School Administrators NEW!
• Guidance and Resources for K-12 Schools (CDC)
• K-12 Operation Strategy through Phased Prevention (CDC)
• Isolation and Quarantine Timeframes for Non-Healthcare Personnel
• Parent FAQs (CDC) - NEW!
• School Contact Tracing Log
• Student Screening Tool
• Symptom Log for Close Contacts | Spanish Version
• Symptoms (CDC) | Spanish Version
• Webcast: Back to School COVID-19 Training Update
• When to Quarantine (CDC)
• When to Use the COVID-19 Report Card | Spanish Version

Page last updated: October 27, 2021