Decisions about when and how school buildings in New York City should reopen in the coming school year must be made with the utmost caution.

With lives in the balance, we believe that public school educators in New York City — and nationwide — should not return to school buildings unless there are protocols and procedures in place to ensure the safety and health of the staff and students.

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The following things need to be in place when buildings reopen:

• Widespread access to coronavirus testing to regularly check that people are negative or have immunity
• A process for checking the temperature of everyone who enters a school building
• Rigorous cleaning protocols and personal protective gear in every school building
• An exhaustive tracing procedure that would track down and isolate those who have had close contact with a student or staff member who tests positive for the virus

Without these protections in place, staff and students — and the families they go home to at night — will not be safe from the virus.

To accomplish these critical goals, the federal government must work with New York and all states to provide the additional funding, supplies and other supports needed to reach the testing capacity necessary to reopen school buildings safely.

Only when such protections are in place will students, their parents and school staff be assured that it is safe to return.