Colorado Charter School Institute
1600 N Broadway, Ste. 1250, Denver, CO 80202
303-866-3299 | www.csi.state.co.us
COVID-19: Updates & Guidance
March 19, 2021
 
Dear School Leaders,
 
The next School Leader Update Call will take place on Monday, April 12 at 1:00pm. Call-in information will remain the same as it has been. Contact Amanda Oberg with questions.

This newsletter includes information on:
  • CDC Revised Physical Distancing Recommendations
  • BinaxNow Testing Program Updates
CDC Revised Physical Distancing Recommendations
The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) released on March 19 revised physical distancing recommendations for school and classroom settings. CDPHE has not yet released related updates to its own guidance. Please contact your local public health agency if you have questions about this updated physical distancing guidance. Some of the revisions are:
  • Revised physical distancing recommendations to reflect at least 3 feet between students in classrooms and provide clearer guidance when a greater distance (such as 6 feet) is recommended.
  • Between students in classrooms:
  • In elementary schools, students should be at least 3 feet apart.
  • In middle schools and high schools, students should be at least 3 feet apart in areas of low, moderate, or substantial community transmission. In areas of high community transmission, middle and high school students should be 6 feet apart if cohorting is not possible.
  • Maintain 6 feet of distance in the following settings:
  • Between adults (teachers and staff), and between adults and students, at all times in the school building. Several studies have found that transmission between staff is more common than transmission between students and staff, and among students, in schools.
  • When masks cannot be worn, such as when eating.
  • During activities when increased exhalation occurs, such as singing, shouting, band, or sports and exercise. Move these activities outdoors or to large, well-ventilated space, when possible.
  • In common areas such as school lobbies and auditoriums.
BinaxNow Testing Program Updates
  • There are currently two programs that operate in slightly different ways - the Binax At-Home program (intended primarily for staff – to be administered at home) and the Binax At-School program (intended primarily for students – to be administered at school)
  • If you are currently participating in these programs, you do not need to complete a new survey.
  • If you are not currently participating in either of these programs, but you would like to participate, please complete the applicable steps:
  • For Binax At-Home, please complete the Binax At-Home survey for your school (if you are part of a network/CMO, complete one survey for the entire network/CMO)
  • For Binax At-School, this program is administered through the School Mask program. Because of this historic structure, and because of potential federal health waiver implications, charter schools need to work with their authorizers to be included in this program.
Continue to check the CSI Coronavirus Updates webpage.
Please contact Michael McManus with any health-related questions. 
Please contact CSI Communications with any communication- or closure-related updates.