As the hypercontagious Delta variant sweeps across the country, children are returning to school, leaving many families concerned about safety precautions in the classroom and fueling a heated debate about how far schools should go to keep young kids safe. Should students be required to wear masks? Should classrooms be socially distanced? Should contract tracing be carried out for potential cases? And if parents remain uncomfortable, should districts allow their children to learn virtually?

We want to hear how policies impact the health and safety of students. We hope to stay in touch with parents, educators and other concerned adults over the course of the semester as the situation evolves. If there is a COVID-19 outbreak in your community, please share your experience. We plan to follow cases as they unfold, and we need you to guide us to virus hotspots by filling out our questionnaire.

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