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As students returned to school for the 2021-2022 school year, states set a variety of policies on education and the COVID-19 pandemic, including how schools should open to in-person instruction and whether students and staff would be required to wear masks. By the end of the 2020-2021 school year, about 66% of students nationwide were in states that left closure decisions to schools or districts, 33% were in states with state-ordered in-person instruction, and 1% were in states with state-ordered regional school closures.^[1][2] All 50 states closed schools to in-person instruction at some point during the 2019-2020 school year in response to the coronavirus pandemic.

This article summarizes responses to the coronavirus in Missouri schools in the academic years ending in 2020, 2021, and 2022. You will find:

• A timeline of events by school year
• A nationwide summary of school mask and vaccine requirements in the 2021-2022 school year
• A summary of school reopening statuses in the 2020-2021 academic year
• A summary of school reopening statuses in the 2019-2020 academic year

Ballotpedia’s coverage of COVID-19 includes how federal, state, and local governments are responding, and how those responses are influencing election rules and operations, political campaigns, the economy, schools, and more.

This page is updated monthly, but our email is always open. We encourage you to share updates from local officials, policymakers, and campaigns in your community at editor@ballotpedia.org.

Timeline by school year[edit]

Below is a list of major events involving schools in Missouri during the coronavirus pandemic between 2019 and 2022, including school closings and openings, mask requirements, and the release of statewide operating guidance. Know of something we missed? Click here to email us and let us know.

2021-2022 school year[edit]

• Sept. 9, 2021: At the beginning of the school year, Burbio, a school data aggregator, reported three in-person schooling disruptions in Missouri.^[3][4]

2020-2021 school year[edit]

• June 29, 2021: At the end of the school year, Burbio reported most schools were in-person in Missouri .^[5][6]
• Sept. 10, 2020: At the beginning of the school year, Burbio reported about half of schools were in-person in Missouri .^[7][8]
• July 14, 2020: The Missouri Department of Education released guidance for reopening schools. Recommendations included screening students and faculty for symptoms, limiting students and faculty to the same group of people every day (cohorting), and requesting students and faculty wear masks.^[9]
• June 9, 2020: Missouri Education Commissioner Margie Vandeven announced fall reopenings for schools would occur at the discretion of county and school board officials.^[10]

2019-2020 school year[edit]

• April 9, 2020: Gov. Mike Parson (R) closed schools for the remainder of the academic year. Prior to the announcement, schools were closed through April 24.^[11]
• April 3, 2020: As part of a stay-at-home order issued by Parson, the statewide school closure scheduled to end April 3 was extended through April 24.^[12]
• March 19, 2020: Parson announced that all schools across the state had temporarily closed. Parsons did not issue a statewide closure, but said all local districts had chosen to close.^[13] The Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education later announced that schools would not reopen until at least April 6.^[14]

Mask and vaccine requirements in the 2021-2022 school year[edit]

Mask requirements in schools[edit]

See also: School responses to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic during the 2021-2022 academic year

As of August 1, 2022, no states had school mask requirements in effect. Forty-two states left mask requirements in schools up to local authorities. Seven states banned school mask requirements.

The table below shows statewide school mask requirement laws and orders in states with school mask requirements or school mask requirement bans in place at the end of the 2021-2022 school year.

Mask requirement orders
State	Ban or requirement?	Type of order	Date lifted or altered
Arizona	Ban	Legislative action	N/A
Arkansas	Ban	Legislative action	Sept. 30, 2021 - Suspended by court action
California	Requirement	California Department of Public Health order	March 12, 2022 - Lifted by executive action
Connecticut	Requirement	Executive order	Feb. 28, 2022 - Lifted by executive action
Delaware	Requirement	Executive order	March 1, 2022 - Lifted by executive action
Florida	Ban	Executive order	N/A[15]
Georgia	Ban	Legislative action	N/A
Hawaii	Requirement	Executive order	Aug. 1, 2022 - Lifted by executive action
Illinois	Requirement	Illinois Department of Public Health order	Feb. 4, 2022 - Suspended by court action[16]
Iowa	Ban	Legislative action	May 16, 2022 - Reinstated by court action[17]
Kentucky	Requirement	Kentucky Board of Education order	Sept. 9, 2021 - Suspended by state law
Louisiana	Requirement	Executive order	Feb. 16, 2022 - Lifted by executive action[18]
Maryland	Requirement	Maryland State Board of Education order	March 1, 2022 - Lifted by executive action[19]
Massachusetts	Requirement	Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education order	Feb. 28, 2022 - Lifted by executive action[20]
Nevada	Requirement	Executive order	Feb. 10, 2022 - Lifted by executive action
New Jersey	Requirement	Executive order	March 7, 2022 - Lifted by executive action
New Mexico	Requirement	New Mexico Public Education Department order	Feb. 17, 2022 - Lifted by executive action
New York	Requirement	Executive order	March 3, 2022 - Lifted by executive action
Oklahoma	Ban	Executive order	N/A
Oregon	Requirement	Oregon Health Authority and Department of Education order	March 12, 2022 - Lifted by executive action
Pennsylvania	Requirement	Pennsylvania Department of Health order	Dec. 10, 2021 - Suspended by court action
Rhode Island	Requirement	Executive order	March 4, 2022 - Lifted by executive action
South Carolina	Ban	Legislative action	Sept. 28, 2021 - Temporarily suspended by court action
Tennessee	Ban	Executive order	Dec. 10, 2021 - Suspended by court action
Texas	Ban	Executive order	N/A[21]
Utah	Ban	Legislative action	N/A
Virginia	Ban	Legislative action	N/A
Washington	Requirement	Washington State Department of Public Health order	March 12, 2022 - Lifted by executive action

School mask requirements over time[edit]

School mask bans over time[edit]

Teacher and school employee vaccine requirements[edit]

See also: School responses to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic during the 2021-2022 academic year

Seven states had issued a statewide requirement for K-12 teachers and staff to be vaccinated against the coronavirus or receive regular coronavirus testing during the 2021-2022 school year. The table below shows teacher and staff vaccine requirement laws and orders in states that issued such policies during the 2021-2022 school year.

Vaccine requirement orders
State	Testing instead of vaccination allowed?	Type of order	Date effective
California	Yes	California Department of Public Health order	Oct. 15, 2021
Connecticut	No	Executive order	Sept. 27, 2021
Delaware	Yes	Executive order	Nov. 1, 2021
Illinois	Yes	Executive order	Issued: Sept. 19, 2021 Suspended by court action on Feb. 4, 2022
New Jersey	Yes	Executive order	Oct. 18, 2021
New York	Yes	Executive order	Sept. 19, 2021
Oregon	No	Executive order	Oct. 18, 2021
Washington	No	Executive order	Oct. 18, 2021

Student vaccine requirements[edit]

See also: School responses to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic during the 2021-2022 academic year

On Oct. 1, 2021, California was the first state to announce a vaccine requirement for eligible students. Louisiana also announced a vaccine requirement for eligible students on Dec. 14, but then announced the state would be removing the coronavirus vaccine from the list of required immunizations in schools on May 18, 2022.

School reopenings and closures (2020-2021 academic year)[edit]

See also: School responses to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic during the 2020-2021 academic year

Initial school year operating plan[edit]

See also: Documenting America's Path to Recovery: August 7, 2020

Missouri released an initial operating plan for the 2020-2021 school year on July 9, 2020. An analysis of this plan appeared in our Documenting America's Path to Recovery newsletter on August 7. The sections below include an analysis of the plan, the details of the plan, and reactions from officials to the plan.

On July 9, the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) and the Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS) issued Missouri School Reopening Guidance Frequently Asked Health-Related COVID-19 Questions. The FAQ clarifies and expands the initial guidance released in May. The FAQ was last updated on Aug. 3.

The initial guidance was released with the assistance of the Missouri School Boards Association and titled Pandemic Recovery Considerations: Re-Entry and Reopening of Schools. It says “The intent of this document is to create a template to guide local discussion regarding reopening schools and is not a ‘one size, fits all’ document.” Both the FAQ and Pandemic Recovery Considerations emphasize that Missouri does not have a centralized plan for reopening schools, leaving decisions about how to reopen to local counties and school boards.

On July 10, Gov. Mike Parson (R) said, “I talked to some of the school administrators, the teachers, the students. I don’t think there’s any question in the state of Missouri – we’ve got to get the schools opened back up and we’ve got to get the kids back to school. There’s a lot of things that occur by not having them in school that can be far worse than going in there and fighting a virus.”

Missouri school districts are required to open by Aug. 24 but can apply for a waiver from the DESE to push that date back. According to EdWeek, public schools in Missouri traditionally start the academic year in late August.

On March 19, Gov. Parson announced all school districts had chosen to temporarily close, but that he had not issued a statewide closure. Later, the DESE announced schools would not reopen until at least April 6. On April 3, Parson issued a stay-at-home order that extended the closure through April 24. Parson closed schools for the remainder of the academic year on April 9.

Context[edit]

Missouri has a Republican trifecta. The governor is a Republican, and Republicans hold majorities in both chambers of the state legislature. It has been a Republican trifecta since 2017.

The following tables show public education statistics in Missouri, including a rank comparing it to the other 49 states. Rank one is the highest number of each figure, rank 50 is the lowest. All data comes from the Common Core of Data provided by the National Center for Education Statistics.

Missouri school metrics
Category	Figure	Rank
Per pupil spending (16-17)	$12,228	32
Number of students (18-19)	908,331	19
Number of teachers (Fall 2016)	67,926	14
Number of public schools (18-19)	2,452	12
Student:teacher ratio (18-19)	13.3	39
Percent qualifying for free/reduced lunch (16-17)	52.7%	16

Missouri school revenue
Category	Figure	Rank
Total revenue	$10,927,026,000	20
Federal revenue percent	9%	25
State revenue percent	32.5%	47
Local revenue percent	58.5%	4

Details[edit]

District reopening plans

Reopening plans have been left up to individual counties and school boards. Local schools and local jurisdictions are allowed to implement measures that are more or less stringent than the DESE recommends.

In-person, hybrid, and online learning

The DESE gives schools districts latitude to decide which model of learning to adopt. For example, St. Louis area school districts have varied widely, with some deciding on fully in-person, some fully online, and some hybrid. Additionally, some districts have offered parents the choice between two or more of these models.

Mask requirements

The DESE has not issued a mask requirement for schools. The FAQ recommends face coverings for all age groups whenever students are not in a cohort or are unable to physically distance. Continuous use of masks is not suggested for young children but is for older children. Masks are also recommended while riding the bus. The FAQ recommends adult staff wear masks at all times when social distancing isn’t possible.

In-person health recommendations and requirements

While the state has issued no mask requirements for schools, the DESE has offered several recommendations:

Schools should encourage parents to screen children at home, and those with symptoms should not attend school and consult healthcare providers about returning to school. Those diagnosed with COVID-19 should be allowed to return to school after 10 days, including three days without fever. Schools should monitor children for visual signs of infection, and limit outside visitors.

Physical distancing of three to six feet is suggested, with students assigned to cohorts, staying with the same group of students and adults during the entire day. Cohorts should not mix whenever possible. Desks should all face the same direction, physical distancing markers and cues should be placed throughout the building, and hand hygiene should be required when moving from one space to another.

Any student or staff member who becomes symptomatic while at school should be isolated and wear a medical-grade mask until no longer in the building. A space separate from the nurses' office should be set aside to isolate anyone feeling or appearing ill. In the case of a positive test, the school should work with local public health authorities to determine guidance and direction for contact tracing and potential quarantine.

Transportation and busing requirements and restrictions

• Screening of COVID-19 symptoms at home prior to getting on the bus.
• Encouraging hand hygiene upon boarding the bus.
• Assigning students to seats so contacts are stable.
• Seating siblings together.
• Loading the bus from back to front.
• Encouraging the use of face masks during transport.
• Having windows open when safe and weather-permitting.
• Providing bus drivers and monitors onboard with personal protective equipment, such as face masks and face shields and/or eye protection, as long as these do not impair driving.
• The use of plexiglass or another barrier around the school bus driver area is currently pending approval by the Federal Highway and Traffic Safety Administration.

Responses[edit]

On Aug. 3, Missouri Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft said, “At some point, we need to just put our heads down and say we’re gonna get through it, and we definitely need to send our kids back to school.” Ashcroft said he didn’t “know a father alive that wouldn’t risk getting COVID, even risk dying, to make sure that his children had the greatest foundation for success for their life they could have.” The Missouri State Teachers Association, the state’s largest teachers union, released a statement on July 17 detailing steps they believe are necessary to reopen schools. Their points stress the transparency of the process and involvement of local public health agencies, teachers, and parents, without explicitly supporting one model of learning over another.

Map of school closures[edit]

The map below shows the status of school reopenings and closures at the end of the 2020-2021 academic year.

As of July 8, 2021, the status of school closures and reopenings was as follows:

• Two states (Delaware, Hawaii) and Washington, D.C. had state-ordered regional school closures, required closures for certain grade levels, or allowed hybrid instruction only.
  • 2019-20 enrollment: 410,896 students (0.81% of students nationwide)
• Thirteen states had state-ordered in-person instruction.
  • 2019-20 enrollment: 15,697,460 students (30.96% of students nationwide)
• One state (Arizona) had state-ordered in-person instruction for certain grades.
  • 2019-20 enrollment: 1,152,586 students (2.27% of students nationwide)
• Thirty-four states left decisions to schools or districts.
  • 2019-20 enrollment: 33,449,499 students (65.96% of students nationwide)

School reopenings and closures (2019-2020 academic year)[edit]

See also: School responses to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic during the 2019-2020 academic year

The map below shows the status of school reopenings and closures at the end of the 2019-2020 academic year.

• States closed to in-person instruction for the remainder of the 2019-2020 school year: 48
• Number of public school students in states closed to in-person instruction for the remainder of the 2019-2020 school year: 50,261,464

The chart below shows the first date schools in a state were closed to in-person instruction during the 2019-2020 academic year, divided by the political party of the governor.

School responses by state[edit]

To read about school responses to the coronavirus pandemic in others states, click one of the following links below:

General resources[edit]

The chart below shows coronavirus statistics from countries across the world. The information is provided by Real Clear Politics.

Click the links below to explore official resources related to the coronavirus outbreak.

• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), U.S. Department of Health & Human Services
• National Institutes of Health, U.S. Department of Health & Human Services
• Occupational Safety and Health Administration, U.S. Department of Labor
• U.S. Department of Education
• World Health Organization
• Trends in Number of COVID-19 Cases and Deaths in the US Reported to CDC, by State/Territory
• Coronavirus (COVID-19) Vaccinations, Our World in Data (Number of vaccines administered)
• Coronavirus Vaccine Tracker, New York Times (Progress of vaccine trials)

See also[edit]

• Documenting America's Path to Recovery
• School responses to the coronavirus pandemic by state (2021-2022 academic year)
• School responses to the coronavirus pandemic by state (2020-2021 academic year)
• Missouri’s responses to the coronavirus pandemic
• COVID-19 vaccine distribution by state
• Travel restrictions by state
• Federal government responses to the coronavirus pandemic

Footnotes[edit]