Arizona Schools Roll Out 2025 Redbook Health Protocols

The Arizona Department of Education has mandated updated health protocols through the Emergency Guidelines for Schools, known as the Arizona Redbook 2025, directing public schools to minimize disease spread with coordinated steps before, during, and after outbreaks. Schools must work closely with local public health agencies, such as Maricopa and Pima County health departments, to monitor symptoms like fevers over 100.4°F, coughs, vomiting, and new rashes. These guidelines build on existing frameworks, including the Empower Schools program by the Arizona Department of Health Services and Department of Education, which promotes wellness standards like physical activity and sun safety.

Key protocols require students and staff to stay home if symptomatic, returning only after being fever-free for 24 hours without medication and, for conditions like strep or pink eye, after 24 hours of antibiotics. Since the 2022-2023 school year, parents of students with seizure disorders can submit management plans to districts and charters for safe handling during school hours or activities. Maricopa County urges daily self-monitoring and testing for COVID-19 or flu, with templates for exposure notices to parents.

In Tucson and Pima County, resources align with state directives, focusing on outbreak prevention in high-density school environments. The Arizona School Safety Program, funded via grants under ARS 15-154, supports these efforts by placing resource officers and counselors on campuses, enhancing overall safety. Districts like Great Hearts Arizona enforce strict rules, such as excluding those with undiagnosed rashes until cleared by a provider. As of May 2026, these protocols address ongoing needs in Arizona's 1,800+ public schools serving over 1.1 million students.