Jennifer Nuzzo works for the Johns Hopkins COVID-19 Testing Insights Initiative

Leading public health experts from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health are available to discuss what American parents, guardians, teachers, school administrators, and local and state policymakers should consider when it comes to when and how to safely reopen K-12 schools this fall.

A responsible strategy for reopening school starts with controlling the community spread of COVID-19 through a variety of tactics, including distancing, the use of face masks, robust contact tracing and quarantining when necessary. All countries that have opened schools without case spikes took these steps before resuming instruction.

However, the decision to reopen schools is complex, as the absence of in-person school can harm children educationally, socially and even nutritionally, as it is where 20 million American children get breakfast and lunch each weekday. This harm can disproportionately affect those without computers or stable internet, which deepens educational inequality. And research suggests that a sudden switch to online instruction has hampered academic progress for some.

Jennifer Nuzzo is available to discuss how states and localities can implement critical measures and precautions to reopen schools safely for the benefit of the national economy, public health, and the needs of children across the country.