School Facilities Implications for COVID‐19 Response

When the current wave of cases has subsided, social distancing measures will relax and, eventually schools will reopen. There is no guarantee or even strong likelihood that an effective treatment, prophylaxis, or vaccine will be available or widely deployed at that point. Schools will reopen with the strong possibility of subsequent waves of infection as strong or stronger than the wave we are currently experiencing. Schools will continue to play an active role in the public health fight against such subsequent waves by developing and implementing social distancing protocols and effective protocols for responding to infections in the school community. These ongoing public health requirements have implications for the school district's facilities. This article tries to anticipate some of those implications and to note where available bond dollars could be put to use.