In most cases it seems classrooms will largely look and feel how they usually do.
The Ministry of Education had planned to release Alert Level 2 guidelines for schools on Monday evening, but the guidelines were not published until Tuesday afternoon.
Masks do not have to be worn and physical distancing will not apply in most circumstances at school.
However, director-general of health Dr Ashley Bloomfield strongly encouraged staff and pupils aged 12 and above to wear face coverings in secondary school settings.
Logan Park High School co-principal Kristan Mouat said it would have been useful to have the information earlier, however the guidelines were similar to the last time the country was in Level 2, so the school was able to prepare without too much stress.
Whether or not teachers and pupils would wear masks was a personal choice, she said.
Dunedin North Intermediate principal Heidi Hayward said the late release of the guidelines was frustrating, but fortunately the rules had not changed much.
School would mostly look the same as usual, but no extra people, such as parents, would be allowed on site.
Green Island School principal Steve Hayward said the school was prepared for the switch to Level 2.
It had plans to reduce contact between staff and parents to a minimum.
Face masks would be worn voluntarily where appropriate, he said.
It was important to strike a balance between informative messaging around the school, and causing anxiety among pupils and parents.
A lot of pupils handled the changes well, but it was a scary time for some, he said.
Taieri College principal David Hunter said staff spent yesterday ensuring everything was cleaned thoroughly.
It was important that pupils practised good hygiene and stayed home if they were feeling unwell, he said.
At Balmacewen Intermediate School, principal Andrew Hunter said classes were ready to resume.
School would look and feel very similar to how it did usually, he said.
