Safe Return to School

Helping to keep schools safe

The COVID-19 pandemic has affected us all in similar, unique and challenging ways. Our research team at Washington University in St. Louis has partnered with local school districts in St. Louis and community members to combat the spread of COVID-19. The goals of this research study is two-fold – to provide COVID-19 testing and to improve communication about vaccination.

Since the summer of 2021, our study has offered free, PCR COVID-19 drive-up testing to participating schools. Moving forward, we will continue to offer drive-up testing as an available resource to help reduce the spread of COVID-19 and keep schools open.

The second part of our project consists of a vaccine communication study. This study aims to share real, factual information about the COVID-19 vaccine so participants can make an informed decision on their health while we learn how to improve vaccine communication in the future.

Participating school districts

City Garden Montessori School
Ferguson-Florissant School District
Jennings School District
Maplewood-Richmond Heights School District
Normandy Schools Collective
Pattonville School District
St. Louis Language Immersion School
University City School District

Empowerment Team

You are invited to participate in an NIH study to help public health professionals understand the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and improve data collection in under-resourced populations.

Learn more

Implementation study

Share your experiences with the Safe Return to Schools program by filling out an online survey.

Learn more

COVID-19 testing

Free saliva-based PCR COVID-19 testing is available.

Learn more

Vaccine communication study

Still unsure about getting the COVID-19 vaccine? Consider participating in our vaccine communication study.

Learn more

Want to sign up for our newsletter?

Email us at SchoolTracing@wustl.edu with the subject “Newsletter.”

Newsletter archive

COVID-19 information

Some local Covid positivity rates rising (Links to an external site)

April 8, 2022

In recent weeks mask mandates have been dropped and vaccination requirements have been lifted at businesses and sports and concert venues in the St. Louis region. During that time, some places have seen an uptick in COVID cases. Mike Jelinek is a physician assistant with Total Access Urgent Care. “Over the last two weeks, unfortunately, […]

A New Wave of Covid-19 Is Coming. Here’s How to Prepare. (Links to an external site)

April 4, 2022

Taking these seven steps now can lower your risk and minimize the disruption to your family’s life.

In St. Louis visit, CDC Director Rochelle Walensky urges more support for public health (Links to an external site)

March 8, 2022

The coronavirus is in the U.S. to stay, and it will continue to affect the country’s most vulnerable people the most, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Rochelle Walensky said Thursday. In a talk with Washington University medical students, Walensky advocated for more support for local public health programs at the forefront of the […]

Mask mandate ends in Illinois and St. Louis County (Links to an external site)

March 1, 2022

Beginning Monday, many parts of the St. Louis metropolitan area will no longer be under a mask mandate. The move comes as COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations are on the decline. St. Louis County’s mask mandate ends at 8 a.m. It has been in place since early last month.

Wash U study shows higher rates of depression, anxiety in COVID-19 survivors (Links to an external site)

February 18, 2022

People who have tested positive for the coronavirus are more likely to suffer from mental health problems, even after they recover, according to a study from researchers at Washington University and the St. Louis Department of Veterans Affairs. Using a database of VA patients, researchers compared the records of more than 150,000 people who tested positive for […]