Special Report
How Schools Are Managing Coronavirus in Every State
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A typical school day now involves social distancing, temperature checks at the door, mask wearing, and occasional temporary closures due to students and teachers testing positive for COVID-19.
24/7 Wall St. reviewed different sets of guidelines, released by state governors, health and education departments, to create a list of restrictions, re-closures, and safety recommendations for schools in every state.
School districts in almost every state have had to temporarily close after reopening for in-person instruction — some closing for two days, others for two weeks. Some decided to move classes online only after one confirmed case, while others waited until dozens of people tested positive or had to quarantine due to possible coronavirus exposure.
Many school districts are closely monitoring the positivity rates in their communities before closing classrooms and moving instruction online. New York City, for example, will close school buildings citywide if the positivity rate hits 3%, using a seven-day average.
While most states have reported shutting down school since the start of the academic year, a few have not. In some states that have yet to report school shutdowns, like in California, the criteria to open for in-person instruction are very strict and most schools have only resumed remote teaching.
Like K-12 schools, colleges and universities have reopened over the past month. Many of the institutions that chose to offer in-person classes have reported thousands of new coronavirus cases — despite taking precautions like mask wearing and social distancing. Here are 25 colleges that reported spikes in COVID-19 cases after reopening.
Click here for how schools are managing coronavirus in every state
Alabama
> Start of 2020-2021 academic year: Mid-to-late August
> Reopening plan: Hybrid model, two days a week in-person instruction, alternating AM and PM schedule
> Mask or face covering rules: Recommended for nurses and school visitors
> Health screening precautions: Daily temperature checks
> Re-closing schools: Baldwin County Schools suspended some sports for 10 days until Sept. 9. Two schools in Blount County temporarily closed in mid-Sept. after 12 students and staff tested positive.
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Alaska
> Start of 2020-2021 academic year: Mid-August
> Reopening plan: Based on community spread, elementary school in-person, middle and high school distance learning
> Mask or face covering rules: Encouraged whenever possible
> Health screening precautions: Daily temperature and symptom screening for all
> Re-closing schools: Several schools in the Mat-Su Borough School District and the Anchorage School District temporarily closed after a few COVID-19 cases were reported. Classes were moved online. The Fairbanks North Star Borough School District moved classes online and canceled all extracurricular activities at the beginning of September.
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Arizona
> Start of 2020-2021 academic year: Mid-August
> Reopening plan: Up to each district
> Mask or face covering rules: Required if social distancing is difficult
> Health screening precautions: Daily symptom screening and temperature checks
> Re-closing schools: At least two schools are closed in Maricopa County as of Sept. 24 after eight school-related COVID-19 outbreaks were reported — a total of 35 people have tested positive.
Arkansas
> Start of 2020-2021 academic year: Mid-to-late August
> Reopening plan: Must provide in-person instructions as option 5 days a week
> Mask or face covering rules: Required for children 10+ on buses, drivers, required for adults and students 10+ in school buildings
> Health screening precautions: Have screening stations, screening signs
> Re-closing schools: The Earle School District closed an elementary school indefinitely after a second person tested positive. A high school in Little Rock closed on Sept. 21 after several students tested positive, many have been quarantined.
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California
> Start of 2020-2021 academic year: Early September
> Reopening plan: Based on community spread, alternate distance learning with in-person instruction
> Mask or face covering rules: Required for adults and Grade three and up
> Health screening precautions: Daily symptom screening and temperature checks, hand-washing required before entering school
> Re-closing schools: Most schools are still in zones where transmission is widespread and are not allowed to open for in-person instruction.
Colorado
> Start of 2020-2021 academic year: Early August
> Reopening plan: Up to each district, maximize in-person learning
> Mask or face covering rules: Recommended for students 11+, required for staff and if social distancing is difficult
> Health screening precautions: At-home or on-site symptom screening, temperature checks
> Re-closing schools: The Roaring Fork School District closed an elementary school until Sept. 28 after two staff members tested positive, a high school in Littleton closed until Sept. 28 after 100+ students and staff had to quarantine.
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Connecticut
> Start of 2020-2021 academic year: Late August
> Reopening plan: Up to each district, most open for in-person instruction
> Mask or face covering rules: Masks required for all when inside school
> Health screening precautions: Maximize social distancing, students bring their own water
> Re-closing schools: Some schools in Bridgeport, Colchester, Enfield, Plainfield have temporarily closed until the end of Sept. or the first week of Oct. either due to staffing shortages or students testing positive, classes were moved online.
Delaware
> Start of 2020-2021 academic year: Early-to-mid August
> Reopening plan: Up to each district
> Mask or face covering rules: Required for staff and grades 4-12, recommended for Pre-K – three grade
> Health screening precautions: Daily symptom screening and temperature checks at home, the state will provide testing for staff and students
> Re-closing schools: So far in September, at least five schools have had to temporarily close after students and staff tested positive, schools were moved online.
Florida
> Start of 2020-2021 academic year: Mid-August
> Reopening plan: In-person instruction, unless barred by local directives
> Mask or face covering rules: Up to each school
> Health screening precautions: Set up secondary clinic for kids showing symptoms
> Re-closing schools: Several schools were temporarily closed until mid-Sept after people tested positive. Classes were moved online. More than 800 people in Central Florida have been asked to quarantine.
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Georgia
> Start of 2020-2021 academic year: Early August
> Reopening plan: Up to each district
> Mask or face covering rules: Personal choice
> Health screening precautions: Daily temperature checks for all
> Re-closing schools: Several Jackson County middle and high schools were temporarily closed in September because over 300 students had to quarantine due to possible coronavirus exposure.
Hawaii
> Start of 2020-2021 academic year: Mid-August
> Reopening plan: Based on community transmission
> Mask or face covering rules: Required if social distancing is difficult
> Health screening precautions: Daily symptom screenings
> Re-closing schools: At least 15 school districts have reported coronavirus cases as of Sept. 20.
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Idaho
> Start of 2020-2021 academic year: Early September
> Reopening plan: Two of Idaho’s three largest districts decided to begin the year online
> Mask or face covering rules: Required by some districts
> Health screening precautions: Daily symptom screening and temperature checks for all
> Re-closing schools: At least three schools in East Idaho have had to temporarily shut down in mid-Sept. after a few students tested positive and several teachers were exposed to a positive case of COVID-19.
Illinois
> Start of 2020-2021 academic year: Early September
> Reopening plan: Up to each district, with majority going remote
> Mask or face covering rules: Required for all students age 5+
> Health screening precautions: Daily symptom screenings and temperature checks for all
> Re-closing schools: Cerro Gordo Community Unit School District 100 switched to remote-learning until Sept. 21 after three people tested positive, contact sports like football and volleyball in Illinois cancelled until spring.
Indiana
> Start of 2020-2021 academic year: Mid-August
> Reopening plan: Based on community transmission
> Mask or face covering rules: Recommended for school staff
> Health screening precautions: Daily temperature checks
> Re-closing schools: Public schools will be phasing in students for in-person instruction starting Oct. 5.
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Iowa
> Start of 2020-2021 academic year: Late August
> Reopening plan: Option for hybrid model or distance learning, at least 50% must be in-person instruction
> Mask or face covering rules: Not recommended but allowed
> Health screening precautions: Up to each school
> Re-closing schools: The Des Moines school district defied Gov. Kim Reynolds order and started the school year remotely. At least eight school districts and nonpublic schools have been granted permission to move classes online.
Kansas
> Start of 2020-2021 academic year: Early-to-mid September
> Reopening plan: Based on community spread
> Mask or face covering rules: REquired for staff, visitors, and most students
> Health screening precautions: Daily temperature checks for staff
> Re-closing schools: Schools in small and big towns have moved classes online full-time and have canceled sport events due to coronavirus exposure and team quarantines.
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Kentucky
> Start of 2020-2021 academic year: Mid-to-late August
> Reopening plan: In-person instruction recommended to be delayed until late Sept. 28
> Mask or face covering rules: Recommended or required, depending on local virus transmission level
> Health screening precautions: Daily temperature checks
> Re-closing schools: Schools may begin resuming in-person classes starting Oct. 22.
Louisiana
> Start of 2020-2021 academic year: Early August
> Reopening plan: Reopen in phases, up to each school
> Mask or face covering rules: Required, students who can’t wear them will be in static groups
> Health screening precautions: Daily symptom screening and temperature checks
> Re-closing schools: Several schools in Louisiana closed to in-person learning in August after students and staff members tested positive for COVID-19, classes were moved online.
Maine
> Start of 2020-2021 academic year: Mid-August
> Reopening plan: Based on community spread, many choose a hybrid model
> Mask or face covering rules: Required for adults, required for students age 5+
> Health screening precautions: Daily self-checks for students and staff
> Re-closing schools: St. Dominic Academy’s Lewiston campus was closed through Sept. 28 after two students tested positive, Massabesic middle and high schools moved classes online after an outbreak was reported in the middle school.
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Maryland
> Start of 2020-2021 academic year: Late August
> Reopening plan: Up to each district
> Mask or face covering rules: Recommended
> Health screening precautions: Daily temperature checks for staff
> Re-closing schools: Harford County’s Superintendent said in a tweet that the district will bring some students back to class by Oct. 19, Baltimore County Superintendent said students will be back in selected groups starting Nov. 13.
Massachusetts
> Start of 2020-2021 academic year: Late August
> Reopening plan: Up to each district, based on community spread
> Mask or face covering rules: Required for grade two and up, encouraged for the rest
> Health screening precautions: Temperature checks are not recommended
> Re-closing schools: Hopkinton Public Schools closed temporarily at the end of September for contact tracing after a high school student tested positive.
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Michigan
> Start of 2020-2021 academic year: Early-to-mid September
> Reopening plan: Up to each district, online classes must be an option
> Mask or face covering rules: Required for some
> Health screening precautions: Daily temperature checks recommended
> Re-closing schools: All school districts in Houghton County closed for two weeks on Sept. 28 after the county positivity rate increased from 0.6% at the end of August, to 5.1% as of Sept. 21.
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Minnesota
> Start of 2020-2021 academic year: Early-to-mid September
> Reopening plan: Up to each district
> Mask or face covering rules: Required for students, staff, and others in schools, offices, and transportation
> Health screening precautions: Daily symptom screening and temperature checks
> Re-closing schools: A high school in Fairmont switched to remote learning after county case rates increased, Brainerd school district moved all high school classes online for two weeks.
Mississippi
> Start of 2020-2021 academic year: Early August
> Reopening plan: Up to each district, start delayed in some schools
> Mask or face covering rules: Required if social distancing is difficult
> Health screening precautions: Daily symptom screening and temperature checks
> Re-closing schools: On average there are 181 teacher and staff infections and 332 student infections per week in schools as of September 4.
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Missouri
> Start of 2020-2021 academic year: Late August
> Reopening plan: Up to each district
> Mask or face covering rules: Recommended if social distancing is difficult
> Health screening precautions: Daily symptom screening.
> Re-closing schools: Several schools across the state have had to temporarily close in September after students and staff tested positive.
Montana
> Start of 2020-2021 academic year: Late August
> Reopening plan: Hybrid model, half days
> Mask or face covering rules: Recommended for all students and staff
> Health screening precautions: Visitor temperature checks
> Re-closing schools: The Great Falls Public Schools on Sept. 14 announced 14 active cases of COVID-19 among students and staff across the district, temporarily closing Great Falls High School.
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Nebraska
> Start of 2020-2021 academic year: Mid-August
> Reopening plan: Up to each district, based on community spread, start postponed until Sept. 16, academic year cut to 170 days
> Mask or face covering rules: Up to each school
> Health screening precautions: Visitors wash hands before entering the school, symptom self-screen
> Re-closing schools: Students in Omaha Public Schools, Nebraska’s largest public school district, returned to the classroom starting Sept. 23 for the first time since March.
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Nevada
> Start of 2020-2021 academic year: Mid-August
> Reopening plan: Up to each district
> Mask or face covering rules: Recommended for staff and students
> Health screening precautions: Daily symptom screening and temperature checks recommended, post signs about proper hand-washing and other ways to stop the virus
> Re-closing schools: At least one elementary school was temporarily closed after one suspected positive case that may have exposed eight people.
New Hampshire
> Start of 2020-2021 academic year: Late August
> Reopening plan: Up to each district
> Mask or face covering rules: Recommended
> Health screening precautions: Daily symptom screenings for staff, students
> Re-closing schools: One high school moved classes online for three days and suspended sports indefinitely after several students tested positive.
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New Jersey
> Start of 2020-2021 academic year: Early September
> Reopening plan: Up to each district, most return with a hybrid model
> Mask or face covering rules: Required for school staff and visitors
> Health screening precautions: Daily symptom screening and history of exposure
> Re-closing schools: About 20 schools across the state have halted in-person learning, two weeks into the school year, because of students and teachers testing positive for the coronavirus.
New Mexico
> Start of 2020-2021 academic year: Early September
> Reopening plan: School year will start remotely the first few weeks
> Mask or face covering rules: Required for students and staff
> Health screening precautions: Daily temperature checks
> Re-closing schools: N/A
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New York
> Start of 2020-2021 academic year: Late September
> Reopening plan: Based on community spread, NYC allowing outdoor learning
> Mask or face covering rules: Required if social distancing is difficult
> Health screening precautions: Daily temperature checks for all
> Re-closing schools: Elementary schools in New York City, with 300,000 students, reopened Sept. 29, after repeated delays.
North Carolina
> Start of 2020-2021 academic year: Late August
> Reopening plan: Up to each district, most start year remote
> Mask or face covering rules: Required for teachers and students K-12
> Health screening precautions: Daily temperature checks
> Re-closing schools: Wake County Public School System said Sept. 28 is expected to vote on a proposal that would bring students back to the classroom on Oct. 6 on a three-week in-person rotating schedule.
North Dakota
> Start of 2020-2021 academic year: Late August
> Reopening plan: Up to school district
> Mask or face covering rules: Recommended, especially if social distancing is difficult
> Health screening precautions: Testing for COVID-19 based on risk level
> Re-closing schools: At least one school, which has about 40 students, closed down in the end of August until Sept. 11 after two students tested positive.
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Ohio
> Start of 2020-2021 academic year: Mid-to-late August
> Reopening plan: Up to each district, most return for in-person instruction full-time
> Mask or face covering rules: Required for staff
> Health screening precautions: Daily symptom screening
> Re-closing schools: The Ohio Department of Health on Sept. 17 released new data showing 319 cases of COVID-19 throughout schools
Oklahoma
> Start of 2020-2021 academic year: Mid-August
> Reopening plan: Up to each district
> Mask or face covering rules: Encouraged for staff and students
> Health screening precautions: Daily temperature checks at home recommended
> Re-closing schools: On Sept. 21, new positive cases for COVID-19 were reported in the Bethany and Choctaw-Nicoma schools, prompting students and teachers to quarantine.
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Oregon
> Start of 2020-2021 academic year: Late August
> Reopening plan: Up to each district, based on community spread
> Mask or face covering rules: Required for staff and students
> Health screening precautions: Daily symptom screening and temperature checks
> Re-closing schools: On Sept. 24, Oregon eased school COVID-19 standards, allowing the possibility of more in-person learning because wildfires in the state had interfered with processing COVID-19 tests.
Pennsylvania
> Start of 2020-2021 academic year: Late August
> Reopening plan: Based on community spread
> Mask or face covering rules: Required if social distancing is difficult
> Health screening precautions: Daily symptom screening
> Re-closing schools: Portage Area High School, about 80 miles east of Pittsburgh, closed on Sept. 28 until Oct. two after a person in the district tested positive for the coronavirus.
Rhode Island
> Start of 2020-2021 academic year: Mid-September
> Reopening plan: Up to school district
> Mask or face covering rules: Required if social distancing is difficult
> Health screening precautions: At-home or on-site symptom screening, temperature checks
> Re-closing schools: N/A
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South Carolina
> Start of 2020-2021 academic year: Late August
> Reopening plan: Up to each school, only 22% start in-person full time
> Mask or face covering rules: Required for students and staff who ride the state’s pupil transportation system
> Health screening precautions: Up to each school
> Re-closing schools: At least two elementary schools temporarily closed in mid-August after a few staff members tested positive.
South Dakota
> Start of 2020-2021 academic year: Mid-August
> Reopening plan: Up to each district, plan for full time distance learning if students test positive
> Mask or face covering rules: Strongly recommended
> Health screening precautions: Daily symptom screening and temperature checks
> Re-closing schools: Three South Dakota school districts announced the week of Sept. 21 that are transitioning to online learning.
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Tennessee
> Start of 2020-2021 academic year: Early-to-mid August
> Reopening plan: Up to each district
> Mask or face covering rules: Required for all staff, students in middle and high school
> Health screening precautions: Daily symptom screening and temperature checks
> Re-closing schools: Several schools closed for in-person learning in August after students and staff members tested positive. Harpeth High School closed for two weeks on Sept. 14 to mitigate the spread of COVID-19.
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Texas
> Start of 2020-2021 academic year: Mid-August
> Reopening plan: In-person instruction in public schools, offer online option as transition period
> Mask or face covering rules: Required for adults and old enough students
> Health screening precautions: Symptom self-screening for staff
> Re-closing schools: Krum Middle School and Krum High School were scheduled to reopen for in-person instruction on Sept. 28 after switching to remote learning Sept. 14 after several positive coronavirus tests at the schools.
Utah
> Start of 2020-2021 academic year: Mid-August
> Reopening plan: Up to each district
> Mask or face covering rules: Recommended
> Health screening precautions: Self-monitoring symptoms
> Re-closing schools: Pleasant Grove High School reopened in September after it was identified as a coronavirus cluster site in late August.
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Vermont
> Start of 2020-2021 academic year: Early September
> Reopening plan: Staggered student schedules
> Mask or face covering rules: Recommended for all staff
> Health screening precautions: Daily symptom screening at home
> Re-closing schools: Vermont transitioned to in-person instruction with distancing requirements as of Sept. 26.
Virginia
> Start of 2020-2021 academic year: Late August / Early September (depends on district)
> Reopening plan: Reopen in phases
> Mask or face covering rules: Required if social distancing is difficult
> Health screening precautions: Daily symptom screenings
> Re-closing schools: The Fairfax County School Board voted on Sept. 22 to start hybrid learning in October.
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Washington
> Start of 2020-2021 academic year: Early September
> Reopening plan: Many districts starting the school year with a hybrid model
> Mask or face covering rules: Required for staff, recommended for students
> Health screening precautions: Daily symptom screening and temperature checks
> Re-closing schools: As many as five Seattle-area school districts are weighing plans to offer some in-person classes, two schools in Southwest Washington close due to coronavirus exposure, classes were moved online.
West Virginia
> Start of 2020-2021 academic year: Early September
> Reopening plan: Expected to open for in-person instruction
> Mask or face covering rules: Required for staff and students grades three and above
> Health screening precautions: Daily symptom screening and temperature checks
> Re-closing schools: At least one high school temporarily shut down after a staff member tested positive, classes were moved online.
Wisconsin
> Start of 2020-2021 academic year: Early September (depends on district)
> Reopening plan: Up to each district, many will start in-person classes
> Mask or face covering rules: Required for teacher when close to other people, required for students in high-traffic periods
> Health screening precautions: Daily symptom screening and temperature checks recommended
> Re-closing schools: On Sept. 30, the Association of Wisconsin School Administrators announced that Portage Community School District is closing three elementary schools for at least the next two weeks because of five new COVID-19 cases and “a number” of people in quarantine.
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Wyoming
> Start of 2020-2021 academic year: Late August
> Reopening plan: Reopen in phases, based on community spread
> Mask or face covering rules: Required if social distancing is difficult
> Health screening precautions: Up to each district
> Re-closing schools: An elementary school in Worland had its reopening delayed after 2 staff members tested positive.
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