How Every State Is Managing Schools During the Pandemic

As coronavirus cases continue to rise across the U.S. school districts all over the country have developed plans to deal with potential outbreaks in their schools — and the measures school officials take to contain the spread change almost daily. 

24/7 Wall St. reviewed guidelines released by state governors and health and education departments as well as news articles to create a current list of school restrictions and re-closures in every state.

Daily temperature checks at the door, mask wearing, and staying socially distant have been the new normal since the first day of the academic year. Students, teachers, and parents alike have by now also became accustomed to sudden closures after someone at the schools tests positive for COVID-19 

In an effort to make school closures more predictable, many school districts have established a threshold for the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases per student and staff. That way, parents know if a closure is imminent and can prepare in advance. Some schools have started administering COVID-19 rapid tests as a way to minimize the risk of transmission and remain open. 

In a few states, schools don’t have to close and students or staff don’t even have to quarantine if the people who have been exposed to COVID-19 were wearing masks and are not exhibiting any of the disease’s symptoms. 

With the coronavirus pandemic still wreaking havoc in nearly every state in the country, switching to remote learning until further notice has increasingly been an option. And with vaccination campaigns underway, teachers in some states have asked that schools close for in-person instruction until staff are able to get the shot.

The second year of the coronavirus pandemic is perhaps more optimistic as millions of people across the country have already been vaccinated. Still, school life may not go back to pre-COVID-19 normalcy soon — here are 20 major myths about COVID-19.

Click here to see how every state is managing schools during the pandemic

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