This page is a resource for families and school administrators regarding Public Health information, reflecting the Santa Cruz COE’s commitment to the health and wellness of our students, as well as our ongoing programs and partnerships. Find out more about our behavioral health and wellness work here. You can also find information on Santa Cruz COE’s official Facebook and Instagram pages.
Preventing the Spread of Illness
Safe, in-person learning is critical to the well-being and development of children. However, when a child arrives with symptoms of illness or develops symptoms on site, a decision must be made about what to do next. The first priority is to evaluate the need for emergency medical attention. If the child does not require immediate medical attention, a decision must then be made to either send the child home (i.e., temporarily exclude) or allow them to remain on site. Many factors should be considered when making this decision, including how to limit the potential for spreading harmful diseases to others; how to limit educational, social, and other losses that might occur due to unnecessary or excessive absence.
The following CDPH guidance may be used for child/ren with symptoms in the various settings including, but not limited to the following:
- Family child care homes
- Child care centers
- Early childhood education sites, including preschools
- K–12 schools (public, private, and charter)
- Before/after-school programs
GUIDANCE FOR SCHOOLS
CDPH Guidance for TK–12 Schools and Child Care Settings to Support Safe In-Person Services and Mitigate the Spread of Communicable Diseases has been updated for the 2025-2026 school year. This guidance is now in “Evergreen status” which means the guidance will be updated on an as needed basis.
This guidance continues to provide a general prevention strategy framework to reduce the spread of communicable disease, facilitate partnerships and work in coordination between local public health and education partners. While there are no major changes to the communicable disease mitigation recommendations, below is a summary of recent changes:
- Added resources of Public Health for All Vaccine Recommendations for respiratory virus vaccines.
- Added the Local Health Jurisdiction Reporting Guidance resource on school outbreak reporting
- Added statement of influenza vaccination for childcare staff and volunteers with added resource: Child Care Workers: Protect Against Measles, Whooping Cough, and Flu
- Replace Cal/OSHA standard webpage link with California Workplace Guide to Aerosol Transmissible Diseases (PDF) resource.
Schools & Districts
The Office of School Health Hub consolidates key resources and information to support the health, safety, and well-being of TK-12 students and staff and mitigate the spread of communicable diseases.
Resources for Promoting Hand Hygiene and Wellness:
Center for Disease Control (CDC) videos for good hand washing techniques
Life is Better with Clean Hands Campaign – Print & Digital Resources
Community Resources and Support Services
Mental Health & Wellness Resources for Families
COVID-19 Testing and Treatment
At a Glance Symptom Guidance
OPIOID & Overdose PREVENTION
Opioids including fentanyl continue to pose a threat to the Santa Cruz County school community due to the high risk of accidental overdose.
In partnership with the Santa Cruz County school districts and SafeRx Santa Cruz County, the Santa Cruz County Office of Education promotes age-appropriate overdose awareness and prevention training for both staff and families as one way we work to ensure the safety of our school community. These efforts include:
- Distributing “Let’s Talk” booklets to families of students entering 9th grade in English and Spanish, to raise awareness and facilitate conversations about substance use and mental health
- Holding staff trainings on use of naloxone and establishing naloxone policies within all districts
- Expanding partnership with SafeRx Santa Cruz County coalition
- Participating in SafeRx Santa Cruz County’s youth-focused fentanyl town hall
Naloxone (Narcan)
Naloxone, brand named Narcan, is an FDA-approved medication that rapidly reverses an opioid overdose.
As of the 2022-23 school year, all Santa Cruz County school districts and the COE have Naloxone available on each high school campus, as well as staff trained in its use. The COE is working in support of expanding the availability of Naloxone, both on-campus and within the community.
Schools and eligible community partners are able to order Naloxone free of charge through the Department of Healthcare Services Naloxone Distribution Project. Eligibility requirements and an application form are available online on the NDP website. For technical assistance, Santa Cruz County school staff may contact School-Based Health Manager Heather Thomsen at hthomsen@santacruzcoe.org.
Resources
Santa Cruz County Narcan Distribution Sites