During the 2021-2022 academic year, it is important to understand the COVID-19 prevention guidelines of schools across the Valley.
According to the Center for Disease Control, significantly high rates of the transmission of COVID-19 are likely to occur in institutions that do not implement preventative measures. Therefore, understanding how schools are implementing measures to protect their staff and students from COVID-19 is critical.
Here is a rundown of the COVID-19 prevention guidelines for some schools in the downtown Phoenix metropolitan area:
Arizona State University
Mask Policy: All individuals, regardless of vaccination status, are required to wear masks inside all classrooms, meeting rooms, workshops, design or production studios, and all ASU clinical programs and centers that serve the general public. Masks are strongly recommended inside all campus buildings.
Test Protocol: If any individual, regardless of vaccination status, tests positive for COVID-19 and lives on-campus, they will be given an isolation space to stay in for a 14-day period. They will be given food and medical supplies as necessary. Both students and faculty will have a no-charge, saliva-based test that can be administered without an appointment available through Devil’s Drop-Off.
ASU’s full COVID-19 protocol can be found here.
Phoenix Union High School District
Mask Policy: All individuals, regardless of vaccination status, are required to wear masks in the presence of others inside all campus buildings.
Test Protocol: If an individual that is not vaccinated tests positive for COVID-19 or has been in close contact with someone who tests positive for COVID-19, they will have to undergo a mandatory, 10-day quarantine. If the individual tests negative and is not experiencing any COVID-related symptoms, they may return to school after seven days. If an individual that is fully vaccinated tests positive for COVID-19 or has been in close contact with someone who tests positive for COVID-19, they are not required to quarantine unless they are experiencing COVID-related symptoms.
Phoenix Union High School District’s full COVID-19 protocol can be found here.
Arizona School for the Arts
Mask Policy: All individuals, regardless of vaccination status, are required to wear masks inside all campus buildings. Parents and staff can submit a form to opt their children or themselves out of the mask policy.
Test Protocol: The school will be conducting regular, pooled testing to identify positive COVID-19 cases. Anyone who tests positive through the school’s testing will be notified of the test result and will be provided with all quarantine guidelines.
Arizona School for the Arts’s full COVID-19 protocol can be found here.
Arizona State University Preparatory Academy
Mask Policy: All individuals, regardless of vaccination status, are required to wear masks when physical distancing is not possible.
Test Protocol: Any individual, regardless of vaccination status, that tests positive for COVID-19, as well as any close contacts of that individual, will not be allowed to return to school unless they test negative for the virus while having no symptoms, or they undergo a 10-day quarantine.
ASU Preparatory Academy’s full COVID-19 protocol can be found here.
Basis Phoenix Central
Mask Policy: All individuals that are not vaccinated are strongly encouraged to wear masks while indoors. All individuals that are fully vaccinated are recommended to wear masks while indoors.
Test Protocol: If an individual, regardless of vaccination status, tests positive for COVID-19, they will not be allowed inside of the school for at least 10 days. They must also have been symptom-free for at least 24 hours. If a student comes to school with COVID-like symptoms, they will be sent home and must not show any COVID-like symptoms for at least 24 hours before they can return to school.
Basis’s full COVID-19 protocol can be found here.
Bioscience High School
Mask Policy: All individuals, regardless of vaccination status, are required to wear masks in the presence of others inside all campus buildings.
Test Protocol: If an individual that is not vaccinated tests positive for COVID-19 or has been in close contact with someone who tests positive for COVID-19, they will have to undergo a mandatory, 10-day quarantine. If the individual tests negative and is not experiencing any COVID-related symptoms, they may return to school after seven days. If an individual that is fully vaccinated tests positive for COVID-19 or has been in close contact with someone who tests positive for COVID-19, quarantine is not required unless they are experiencing COVID-related symptoms.
Bioscience’s full COVID-19 protocol can be found here.
Brophy College Preparatory
Mask Policy: Effective until September 10, all individuals, regardless of vaccination status, are required to wear masks inside all campus buildings. Beginning September 13, masks will be optional inside and outside for all individuals, regardless of vaccination status.
Test Protocol: Any student or faculty member who is not fully vaccinated must undergo COVID-19 testing twice per week. Fully vaccinated students or faculty members that are vaccinated will not be required to participate in scheduled testing. If one does test positive, he will undergo a mandatory, 10-day quarantine, regardless of vaccination status. Close contacts who are not vaccinated will also be required to obtain a COVID-19 test and quarantine. Close contacts who are vaccinated will be notified of the exposure and must get tested, but quarantine is not mandatory.
Brophy’s full COVID-19 protocol can be found here.
George Washington Carver High School
George Washington Carver High School is currently in a remote learning model.
St. Mary’s Catholic High School
Mask Policy: All individuals, regardless of vaccination status, are required to wear masks on campus, except when alone in a room or office.
Test Protocol: Any individual, regardless of vaccination status, that tests positive for COVID-19 or has been in close contact with someone who has tested positive for COVID-19, must inform the St. Mary’s Front Office immediately. St. Mary’s High School will work closely with the Maricopa County Health Department regarding quarantine procedures and contact tracing.
St. Mary’s full COVID-19 protocol can be found here.
Summit High School
Mask Policy: All individuals, regardless of vaccination status, are strongly encouraged, but not required, to wear masks on campus during school hours.
Test Protocol: If any individual, regardless of vaccination status, is displaying COVID-like symptoms, they should not attend school. If they display symptoms while at school, they will need to be picked up by a parent or guardian immediately. If any individual, regardless of vaccination status, tests positive for COVID-19 or has been in close contact with someone who tests positive, they will need to contact the school for quarantine/isolation guidelines.
Summit’s full COVID-19 protocol can be found here.
Xavier College Preparatory
Mask Policy: All individuals, regardless of vaccination status, are required to wear masks on campus.
Test Protocol: Students and staff members will have their temperature taken before they enter a school building. If anyone has a temperature higher than 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit, she will undergo a mandatory, 72-hour quarantine. If anyone tests positive for COVID-19, she will undergo a mandatory, 14-day quarantine. Anyone displaying symptoms of COVID-19 should quarantine for 72 hours.
Xavier’s full COVID-19 protocol can be downloaded here. Scroll down to the “Misc. Downloads” section and click on the link for “COVID-19 PROTOCOLS”.
Contact the reporter at zabradsh@asu.edu.
