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Health and Safety Protocols


UCS appreciates its partnership in providing our staff and students with a positive learning environment. Working closely with the Macomb County Health Department, below are health and safety protocols. 

Mitigation Strategy  UCS Implementation
Self Screening   

Self-screening students before school is essential to the health and safety of the school community. 

Before your child leaves in the morning, ask these two questions:

    • In the last 24 hours, has your child developed any of the following symptoms that are new/different/worse from baseline of any chronic illness: cough, shortness of breath, difficulty breathing, new loss of smell and new loss of taste?
    • In the last 24 hours, has your child developed any of the following symptoms that are new/different/worse from baseline chronic illness: subjective fever (felt feverish) or measured temperature 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit or higher chills or rigors (sever chills with shivering), headache, sore throat, muscle aches, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, runny nose or congestion and fatigue? 
Staying Home When Sick   

Staff and students are expected to stay home when they are sick or having COVID-19 symptoms, and report absences according to district attendance policies.  

Students and staff are encouraged, regardless of vaccination status, to get tested for COVID-19 if having symptoms or if they are a close contact to someone who has COVID-19.
Mask Wearing  

Utica Community Schools, in partnership with the Macomb County Health Department, strongly recommends that individuals, regardless of vaccination status, consider wearing a face covering when indoors, especially in crowded settings. 

Please note - Working with the health department, the required use of face coverings for a minimum of two weeks is a mitigation strategy for classrooms, self-contained programs or schools that are experiencing an increased impact of COVID-19. 


Through a federal Center for Disease Control order, Macomb County is requiring that face coverings are used in all public transportation, which includes our buses. Students and adults are required to wear a face covering while riding a UCS school bus. This is the same national transportation order that is in place for the airline industry.  
COVID-19 Testing  Not required. However, if a student has been identified as a close contact, a negative COVID-19 test will enable them to return earlier from quarantine, according to Macomb County Health Department requirements. 
COVID-19 Vaccine Utica Community Schools, in partnership with the Macomb County Health Department, strong recommends eligible families and staff consider available vacinnes. Vaccinated students and staff will not be required to quarantine if asymptomatic, when determined to be a close contact. MDHHS and the CDC recommend eligible individuals get vaccinated.
Contact tracing in combination with isolation and quarantine  

In compliance with health department guidelines, individuals who are in close contact with an individual with a confirmed or probable case of COVID-19 may be subject to a quarantine. 

For a definition of a “close contact” and quarantine guidelines, please refer to pages 4 and 5 of the Macomb County Return to School Toolkit or the district's quarantine information page. 
 Remote Instruction  Working with the Macomb County Health Department, classrooms, self-contained programs or schools may temporarily placed in remote instruction to mitigate the community spread of COVID-19. 
 Cohorting/
Physical Distancing		  Cohorting (grouping the same students together) and physical distancing will be in place to the extent practicable. 
 Ventilation  Air quality improvements with extended system run times, increased filtration levels, and air purification.
 Personal hygiene   Air quality improvements with extended system run times, increased filtration levels, and air purification.
 Cleaning and disinfection Cleaning follows CDC and State of Michigan protocols with EPA approved products. Daily cleaning and disinfection including touchpoint cleaning twice per day.
 Visitors  Visits to buildings during the school day will be limited to essential visitors. 
 Large in-person gatherings  Many large in-person gatherings, such as Parent/Teacher Conferences, will be conducted using a virtual format where possible. In addition, student assemblies will be limited to outside only. The current Michigan High School Athletic Association protocols for athletic events will be followed.
Field Trips and before or after school sponsored activities  Before or after school building sponsored activities (Academically Gifted and Talented, Science Olympiad, School Sports) are allowed following safety protocols. Seating charts and social distancing are recommended to help with contact tracing.