Optimizing classroom assignments to minimize epidemiological risk: the sibling rewiring problem

Abstract

In the context of infectious diseases, the assignment of students to classroom groups can significantly influence infection dynamics within school environments, particularly when sibling relationships introduce latent connections between otherwise unconnected groups. Traditional grouping methods and pandemic-era bubble strategies do not explicitly optimize student network structures or account for equity in exposure. This study introduces the Sibling Rewiring Problem, a novel multi-objective framework for student assignment that aims to maximize network fragmentation, reduce potential contagion pathways and minimize variance in group sizes and epidemiological exposure—thereby promoting fairness. We compared baseline, heuristic, and metaheuristic strategies in realistic school scenarios. A simple heuristic that assigns siblings to the same classroom line when feasible consistently achieves substantial network fragmentation with minimal impact on equity. Simulated Annealing further improved these results, particularly in complex configurations with densely connected sibling networks. Our findings suggest that family-aware classroom assignments can enhance epidemiological resilience while maintaining socially acceptable distributions. This approach provides a practical and scalable framework for integrating public health considerations into educational planning and may inform future decision-making in both emergency and routine contexts