COVID-19 Guidance
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, CPS has developed a comprehensive plan that includes safety protocols, procedures, and guidance to keep families, staff, and school communities safe from COVID-19. If you have any of these COVID-19 symptoms, you should get tested:
- Fever 100.4 or higher; chills
- Cough
- Shortness of breath
- Difficulty breathing
- Sore throat
- New loss of taste or smell
- New muscle or body aches
- Nausea, vomiting, diarrhea
- Headache
- Runny nose or congestion
- Fatigue
Key Safety Measures
Learn about the key safety measures that the District has put in place to keep school communities safe from COVID-19.
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Masks
CPS encourages the use of masks at school, outside on school property, and on school buses. Students and staff can request a mask from their school.
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Testing
To help prevent the spread of COVID-19, free rapid tests are available at CPS locations for students, families, and staff.
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Disease Investigation
To help reduce the transmission of COVID-19, CPS has a dedicated team to investigate COVID-19 cases. CPS works in coordination with CDPH to prevent outbreaks, notify for exposures and connect individuals to city resources such as monitoring and testing.
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HEPA Filters and Air Quality Assessments
Through an $8.5 million investment by the District, every classroom and front office is receiving its own HEPA purifier, which filters over 99.99% of airborne viruses, bacteria, and mold. And to ensure buildings are properly ventilated, the district conducted multi-stage ventilation and air quality assessments, which inspected every room and utilized state-certified environmental specialists. Those reports can be found at cps.edu/airquality. The district has also spent $70 million on mechanical upgrades.
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Additional Custodians
To ensure comprehensive cleaning protocols are completed every day, the District has hired additional custodians.
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Sanitizer and Soap
The District invested over $3.5 million to secure over 50,000 hand sanitizer dispensers in all high-traffic areas and soap dispensers to support regular hand washing and sanitizing.
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Disinfectant Wipes
The District has allocated over $2.94 million to purchase 92,667 containers of EPA-approved disinfectant wipes for classrooms, offices, and other high-touch areas.
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Hospital-Grade Disinfectant Sprayers
Every CPS school has a hospital-grade mister spray unit that will evenly apply EPA-approved disinfectant for maximum disinfection.
Best Practices to Prevent COVID
These are some best practices to follow to reduce your chance of catching COVID-19.
Wash hands often with soap and water or use hand sanitizer gel
Catch coughs and sneezes with disposable tissues
Throw away used tissues (then wash hands)
If you don't have a tissue, use your sleeve
Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands
Stay home if you are feeling sick
