When President Biden took office, less than half of K-12 schools were open for in-person learning. The President made getting schools safely reopened and.
[Operational Guidance for K-12 Schools and Early Care and Education Programs to Support Safe In-Person Learning](https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/schools-childcare/k-12-childcare-guidance.html?CDC_AA_refVal=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cdc.gov%2Fcoronavirus%2F2019-ncov%2Fcommunity%2Fschools-childcare%2Fk-12-guidance.html) includes updated recommendations aligned with COVID-19 Community Levels, including information on when to mask, how to manage cases and exposures, and best practices for responding to outbreaks. - Recognizing champion schools and districts who are leading the way on indoor air quality: Over the coming months, the Administration will highlight school districts excelling in efforts to improve indoor air quality. To support this work, the Environmental Protection Agency’s [Clean Air in Buildings Challenge](https://www.epa.gov/indoor-air-quality-iaq/clean-air-buildings-challenge)and its [Indoor Air Quality Tools for Schools](https://www.epa.gov/iaq-schools)provides specific steps schools can take to improve indoor air quality and reduce the risk of airborne spread of viruses and other contaminants. The Department of Energy (DOE) has launched the [Efficient and Healthy Schools campaign](https://www.energy.gov/eere/buildings/efficient-and-healthy-schools)to support investments and improvements for healthy school facilities, including through recognition, training, technical assistance, and 1-1 consultations on indoor air quality with individual schools and districts. The American Rescue Plan and other federal dollars may be used to make indoor air quality improvements, and the Administration will continue to provide supports to schools to help in making these improvements: This includes efforts through the DOE and Department of Education (ED) to support and uplift schools and districts undertaking critical work in indoor air quality. Last year, the Administration made millions of COVID-19 tests and supports available for free to schools, and will continue to do so in the school year ahead: - Providing free access to COVID-19 tests: The Administration will extend the efforts it launched last January in making millions of COVID-19 tests freely available to schools each month. AFT and NEA will highlight the opportunity to get a second booster for their members age 50 and over who have not gotten a booster shot this calendar year, with an additional focus on communicating with their retirees. Diagnostic testing is a helpful strategy that all schools can use to understand whether students, staff, or family members have COVID-19 when they are symptomatic or have been exposed to the virus. The Administration will provide materials that the organizations can use, such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Over the past 18 months, driven by the President’s American Rescue Plan and a comprehensive COVID-19 response, the Biden-Harris Administration has provided schools with unprecedented resources to reopen safely, while keeping students and workers safe.