At this time, there is no general vaccine mandate for students ages 12 or older attending public school. 

However, vaccinations will be required for:

• DOE employees
• Students and staff participating in high-risk sports

High-Risk Sports

COVID-19 vaccination will be required this year for all students (aged 12 and older) and staff participating in high-risk Public Schools Athletic League (PSAL) sports.

High-risk sports include:

• Basketball
• Football
• Lacrosse
• Rugby
• Stunt (competitive cheerleading)
• Volleyball
• Wrestling

Participants are required to get their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine by the first day of competitive play, which varies by sport. Winter and spring PSAL participants have until the beginning of their seasons to be fully vaccinated.

Fully vaccinated participants can remove their masks while engaging in high-risk PSAL activities outdoors.

Families can upload proof of students' vaccination status at vaccine.schools.nyc.

To find a vaccination site, visit the Coronavirus (COVID-19) Vaccine page. Mobile vaccination sites will also be visiting schools and PSAL conditioning sites across the city this fall.

DOE Employees

By September 27, all Department of Education (DOE) employees — including teachers, principals, custodians, and all central office staff — must receive at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine.

There is no testing alternative for people who are not vaccinated.

To support remote learning and help students stay connected during emergencies, the DOE provided internet-enabled iPads to public school students in New York City. All iPads were granted on a temporary basis and will later need to be returned.

DOE is no longer providing iPads.

Get answers to some remote learning device (iPad) questions.

Returning a DOE iPad

If the student is returning to a DOE school, DOE Pre-K or 3-K program, or are participating in a DOE program in a non-public or charter school (either for blended or remote learning), you do not need to return the iPad to DOE at this time. 

If the student is not returning to a DOE school or program, the borrowed iPad must be returned to DOE. You can bring the iPad back to the last DOE school the student attended. Make sure to give it to the Principal, Assistant Principal, Parent Coordinator, School Point of Contact for Technology (SPOC) or other person at the school who is in charge of technology. 

Learn more about returning an iPad.

Get Help

You can get help with DOE iPads, including but not limited to:

• Setting up the device
• Accessing applications
• Technical issues
• Internet connection issues
• iPad delivery status
• Connectivity issues in temporary housing

Online

Fill out the Technical Support for Families form.

By Phone

Surveillance COVID-19 testing will be conducted every other week in each school building and will randomly test 10% of all consented students (Pre-K and Kindergarten are excluded). 

If you already submitted a COVID-19 testing consent form during the last school year or summer, you will need to do so again for the 2021-2022 school year. 

There are two ways to submit the form:

• You can complete the consent form on your child's NYC Schools Account.
• Print and sign the form and bring it to your child’s school on the first day they are back in the school building. Printable consent forms are available online in ten languages. 

If your child is tested, your school will let you know they were tested and when and how you will receive the results, which are usually available within 48-72 hours.

If you do not want your child to participate in random surveillance testing do not submit consent.

Learn more about school-based COVID-19 testing.

You can also email questions to Covid19SchoolTesting@schools.nyc.gov.

All schools are required to follow health and safety protocols to prevent, identify, and address the spread of COVID-19.

Schools will:

• Promote healthy behaviors such as physical distancing, wearing face coverings, handwashing, and using sanitizer
• Clean the school throughout the day and disinfect every night
• Maintain an isolation room for students with symptoms with a dedicated staff member or health professional
• Communicate clearly with families and the school community
• Have a nurse in every public school building
• Have weekly COVID-19 testing for a random selection of staff and students

You can learn more online about how schools plan to reopen safely, including:

• Thresholds for opening and closing schools
• Building preparations and safety measures
• Testing and tracing protocols if someone is feeling sick or has COVID-19
• Closure and quarantine protocols when there is one or more COVID-19 cases in a school 

Get COVID-19 health and safety information for public schools.

Download the DOE health and safety guide.

To report a school not following COVID-19 health and safety rules, visit the School Reopening Complaint page.

Daily Health Screenings

Students must complete a health screening (including temperature checks) before they enter school buildings. 

You are encouraged to use the DOE Online Health Screening Tool each day that your child is scheduled to attend in-person learning. When you do the screening at home, you or your child just need to provide the results of the screening either by showing the email on a smartphone or a printout of the results before entering the school building. 

If you or your child is not able to pre-screen using the online tool, you may use the Paper Health Screening Questionnaire and have your child bring the completed form to school and show it upon entry. Your school will provide you with printed copies so you can complete the questionnaire at home.

If you or your child forgets or is unable to pre-screen, someone will be available at your school's entrance to assist your child in completing the form and checking your child’s temperature.

Students will not be able to attend in-person classes if they have:

• Experienced any symptoms of COVID-19 within the past 10 days, including:
  • Fever of 100 degrees Fahrenheit or greater
  • A new cough
  • A new loss of taste or smell
  • Shortness of breath 
• Received a positive result from a COVID-19 test that tested saliva or used a nose or throat swab (not a blood test) in the past 10 days;
• Been in close contact (within 6 feet for at least 10 minutes) with anyone who tested positive for COVID-19 or who has or had symptoms of COVID-19 in the past 14 days; or
• Traveled internationally or from a state with widespread community transmission of COVID-19 per the New York State Travel Advisory in the past 14 days.

 As always, please keep your child home if they are sick.

If your child attends a charter, private, or parochial (religious) school, you should contact it directly for any questions related to COVID-19 preparation and handling, school reopening and closures, and remote learning.

iPads for Non-Public School Students

To support remote learning and help students stay connected during emergencies, the DOE provided internet-enabled iPads to:

• Private, charter, and parochial school students with disabilities
• Charter school students who are living in temporary housing (such as a shelter or living with someone else temporarily)
• Charter school students in foster care

All iPads were granted on a temporary basis and will later need to be returned. DOE is no longer providing iPads.

Get answers to some remote learning device (iPad) questions.

Get Help

You can get help with DOE iPads, including but not limited to:

• Setting up the device
• Accessing applications
• Technical issues
• Internet connection issues
• iPad delivery status
• Connectivity issues in temporary housing

Online

Fill out the Technical Support for Families form.

By Phone

Parking is allowed in school zones when school is in recess. However, you should be aware that specific schools may be open on holidays and during summer vacations. Parking restrictions would remain in effect.

Parking restrictions remain in effect while schools are doing remote learning.

Also, when schools are open for summer sessions, teacher meetings, or similar activities, the parking regulations apply on such days, even if students aren't attending.

You should contact the specific school to verify that it's in recess.