Responding to the Coronavirus

NSBA continues to diligently monitor the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on schools, students, and everyone across the country.

We advise public schools and education leaders to follow federal, state, and local health authorities’ guidelines on current measures to prevent and respond to the COVID-19.

Below you will find resources and information that we hope you will find helpful. We will continue to update this page as new resources and information become available.

As public schools navigate the demands of reopening safely, they will bear the burden of added costs for personal protective equipment, increased cleanings and more. Visit NSBA's Savings Center to explore ways to save and learn about services that can reduce district costs and improve operations.

NEW: U.S. Department of Education Releases “Return to School Roadmap” to Support Students, Schools, Educators, and Communities in Preparing for the 2021-2022 School Year
On August 2, 2021, the U.S. Department of Education released the “Return to School Roadmap,” a resource to support students, schools, educators, and communities as they prepare to return to safe, healthy in-person learning this fall and emerge from the pandemic stronger than before. The Roadmap includes three priorities that schools, districts, and communities are encouraged to focus on to ensure all students are set up for success in the 2021-2022 school year: (1) prioritizing the health and safety of students, staff, and educators; (2) building school communities and supporting students’ social, emotional, and mental health; and (3) accelerating academic achievement.

State Specific School Reopening Guidance

The Johns Hopkins University eSchool+ Initiative offers an analysis of education recovery plans put forth by states to examine the ways these plans are designed to support students and teachers. It also includes a dashboard for each state showing the latest data on COVID cases and tests within a state.

With the 2021-2022 school year upon us, states are releasing new guidance and back-to-school reopening plans. Following is a sampling of state recovery plans:

California	\|	Connecticut	\|	Illinois	\|	Indiana
Iowa	\|	Kentucky	\|	Maine	\|	Mississippi
New Jersey	\|	Oregon	\|	Virginia	\|	Washington

NSBA Resources

Setting a New Course: A Legal Guide to Operating Schools in the Pandemic Era | Addendum

Last year, as school leaders faced school building closures and shifted to online and hybrid models of instruction, NSBA issued its guide entitled, Setting a New Course: A Legal Guide to Operating Schools in the Pandemic Era, to help schools navigate salient issues surrounding the pandemic. Nearly one year later, this appendix to the publication is intended to build on that guide by helping school leaders understand the latest federal guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the U.S. Department of Education (ED).

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School Leader Voices: Concerns and Challenges to Providing Meaningful IDEA-related Services During COVID-19

As schools prepare to reopen in the fall, there is a growing concern that school districts and educational service agencies will face unparalleled rates of litigation for their inability to meet requirements under IDEA during the COVID-19 pandemic. Working with AASA and AESA, NSBA produced the following white paper to understand how this issue may impact school budgets.

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Center for Safe Schools Webinar

Hosted by NSBA’s Center for Safe Schools in collaboration with the Attachment & Trauma Network, “Navigating Virtual Education — with Calm, Connectedness and Compassion” focuses on the impact of school closures and the new "normal" this is creating for families and educators alike. This discussion addresses the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on schools and families and how we can help children and families, especially those with adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), navigate this new environment.

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Additional Resources

Hispanic Health Resources for Parents, Families, and Education Leaders

NSBA is proud to be working with the National Alliance for Hispanic Health (Alliance) in support of the Vacunas (Vaccines) Certified Vaccine Navigator (CVN) Network, a national network for community-based services in 38 cities to deliver trusted and science-based information on COVID-19 prevention while reducing barriers and increasing Hispanic communities access to vaccinations. Read the announcement.

COVID-19-Related School Support for Hispanic/Latino Students and Families: Developed by NSBA’s Center for Public Education, this research brief highlights the disparate impact that the pandemic has had on Hispanic/Latino communities, the unique challenges facing these communities (work obligations that were not flexible, logistical barriers, language barriers, immigration concerns, and a lack of information about the availability, safety, and effectiveness of vaccines from trusted sources), and a set of best practices for meeting these challenges.

The National Alliance for Hispanic Health (NAHH)

The NAHH provides services to more than 15 million Hispanics through the United States every year through its work and resources. Learn more about how NAHH can help at https://www.healthyamericas.org/.

What You Need to Know / Lo Que Necesita Saber

NAHH provides COVID-19 awareness and preventative information in English and en Español.

National Hispanic Family Health Helpline

The Helpline provides free reliable and confidential health information in Spanish and English. The Helpline is staffed by bilingual health promotion advisors available Monday through Friday from 9 am to 6 pm Eastern Time. 1-866-783-2645 (1-866-Su Familia)

Vaccines for Children (VFC)

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s VFC program offers vaccines at no cost to eligible children through health care providers enrolled in the program. Vaccinating on time means healthier children, families, and communities. Find out if your child qualifies for the VFC program.

El Programa Vacunas para Niños (VFC, por sus siglas en inglés) ofrece vacunas sin costo a los niños que reúnen los requisitos, a través de los proveedores de atención médica que participan en el programa. Cuando las vacunas se administran a tiempo, nuestros niños, familias y comunidades son más saludables. Averigüe si su hijo reúne los requisitos del programa VFC.

State Specific School Reopening Guidance

NSBA Resources

Hispanic Health Resources for Parents, Families, and Education Leaders

U.S. Department of Education

Health Agencies

Miscellaneous