The StrongSchoolsNC Public Health Toolkit includes a layered prevention approach designed to prevent

children, teachers and staff from becoming infected with COVID-19, and keep children and staff in the
classroom. These strategies include vaccination, boosters, masking, physical distancing and testing. Each
strategy alone reduces the risk of COVID-19, and when used together, they reduce risk even further.
These strategies as outlined in the toolkit are designed to be nimble and responsive to the needs of each
community; for instance, we recommend that when low or moderate viral spread in a county is
achieved per the CDC’s dashboard, schools can consider moving to optional masking. However, failure
to use any of these prevention strategies greatly increases the risk of individuals in schools and the
surrounding communities of becoming infected and sick with COVID-19. All schools should implement
the guidance of the toolkit to best protect students and staff.

During periods of increased viral spread, contact tracing can be difficult to operationalize and delays in
exposure notification can render it less effective at preventing transmission. That is why it is our strong
guidance that schools follow the layered prevention strategies outlined in the StrongSchoolsNC Public
Health Toolkit to reduce the likelihood of increased infections in the first place.

Keeping kids and teachers well and safely in the classroom is a top priority for NCDHHS and the guidance
we have outlined aims to do just that. NCDHHS respects the role local boards of education serve in
implementing this guidance and the accountability these boards have before their communities to keep
teachers and kids safe.