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Administrators and Districts

Sector leaders can find K-12 guidance and tools to support in-person learning in schools.
Last updated: August 25, 2022

Students, staff, and others can take preventive actions to reduce the risk of communicable diseases in K-12 school settings. Staff can attend school safely when we work together to follow public health recommendations. 

  • Everyone eligible gets all recommended vaccines including COVID-19 vaccines.
  • Schools implement and update communicable disease plans.
  • Students, staff and parents/caregivers follow school communicable disease plans. 
  • Regions provide additional guidance when there is greater risk in a community.

Together, these steps can help prevent the spread of communicable diseases like COVID-19 in schools. We all have a role to play in making our schools safer.

The public health guidance for schools has been updated for the 2022/23 school year. 

Guidance for Prevention

Every school in B.C. must have a communicable disease plan to prevent the spread of communicable diseases.

Plans include multiple layers of protection, such as:

  • Ensuring ventilation systems are working effectively
  • Providing frequent opportunities for hand cleaning
  • Supporting students and staff in the use of masks based on personal choice
  • Regular cleaning and disinfection

Public health guidance informs the Provincial COVID-19 Communicable Disease Guidelines for K-12 School Settings, developed by the Ministry of Education with Indigenous rightsholders, K-12 education and health partners. Schools and school districts must follow these guidelines. 

The resources below provide school administrators with the information they need to implement safety measures.

When someone in school is sick
 Most communicable diseases within school settings can be managed by the individual or family and through routine preventive measures, such as staying home from school until well enough to participate in regular activities.

School administrators may receive voluntary reports from one or more individuals who tested positive for COVID-19 and may have attended school while infectious. 

Resources are available to support management of routine communicable disease:


Public Health Response

Public health works with educational partners to support the health and wellbeing of students and staff in school settings. Public health may become directly involved if certain reportable diseases, such as measles, where there are measures that can be implemented  to prevent further spread. 

Frequently Asked Questions

 

School staff may need to provide information about their vaccination status to their school district if the local Medical Health Officer (MHO) issued a directive following the introduction of an Order from the PHO.

 
 


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