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School responses in Massachusetts to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic

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Responses by state


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 Massachusetts schools in the academic years ending in 2020, 2021, and 2022. You will find:

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

Below is a list of major events involving schools in Massachusetts 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

  • Feb. 28, 2022: Massachusetts' statewide school mask requirement ended. Department of Elementary and Second Education Commissioner Jeffrey C. Riley announced the change on Feb. 9.[3]
  • Feb. 9, 2022: Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Second Education Commissioner Jeffrey C. Riley announced the state would end its school mask requirement on February 28, 2022.[3]
  • Jan. 10, 2022: Massachusetts Elementary and Secondary Education Commissioner Jeffrey C. Riley extended the K-12 mask requirement through Feb. 28.[4]
  • Oct. 26, 2021: Massachusetts Elementary and Secondary Education Commissioner Jeffrey C. Riley extended the K-12 mask requirement through Jan. 15, 2022. The requirement applied to all staff and students aged five and older in most indoor public school settings.[5]
  • Oct. 12, 2021: The Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education announced that Hopkinton High School was the first school in the state allowed to lift its indoor mask requirement. Beginning Oct. 1, schools in Massachusetts were able to lift their mask requirements if at least 80% of students were vaccinated.[6]
  • Sept. 27, 2021: Commissioner of Education Jeff Riley extended the K-12 public school mask mandate through Nov. 1. The mandate applied to students, teachers, and staff. Riley announced that middle and high schools where at least 80% of students and staff are vaccinated could opt out of the mandate after Oct. 1.[7]
  • Sept. 9, 2021: At the beginning of the school year, Burbio, a school data aggregator, reported one in-person schooling disruption in Massachusetts.[8][9]
  • Aug. 24, 2021: The Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (BESE) voted to allow Commissioner Jeffrey Riley to implement a mask mandate for K-12 public school teachers, staff, and students. The mandate would apply to vaccinated and unvaccinated individuals in middle and high schools through Oct. 1. After Oct. 1, the mandate would only apply to schools with a vaccination rate of less than 80% and unvaccinated individuals in schools with an 80% or greater vaccination rate.[10]


2020-2021 school year

  • June 29, 2021: At the end of the school year, Burbio reported all schools were in-person in Massachusetts .[11][12]
  • May 17, 2021: Massachusetts started requiring schools to offer full-time in-person instruction for high schoolers on May 17.[13]
  • Sept. 10, 2020: At the beginning of the school year, Burbio reported a majority of schools were using virtual or hybrid learning in Massachusetts .[14][15]
  • July 27, 2020: The Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education signed an agreement with the state’s teachers unions to reduce the length of the 2020-2021 school year from 180 days to 170 days.[16]
  • June 24, 2020: Gov. Charlie Baker (R) released guidance for reopening schools. The guidance required all staff and students in second grade or higher to wear masks, social distancing of desks in classrooms, and students to eat breakfast and lunch in their classrooms.[17]
  • June 8, 2020: The Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education released preliminary guidance for reopening schools. The memo outlined a face-covering requirement for both teachers and students, desks spaced six feet apart, and classroom size restrictions of 12.[18]


2019-2020 school year

  • April 21, 2020: Baker announced that schools would not reopen for in-person instruction for the remainder of the academic year. Prior to the announcement, schools were closed through May 1.[19]
  • March 25, 2020: Baker announced that the statewide school closure, scheduled to end April 6, was extended through May 1.[20]
  • March 15, 2020: Baker issued an executive order closing all schools in the state from March 17 until April 6.[21]

Mask and vaccine requirements in the 2021-2022 school year

Mask requirements in schools

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[22]
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[23]
Iowa Ban Legislative action May 16, 2022 - Reinstated by court action[24]
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[25]
Maryland Requirement Maryland State Board of Education order March 1, 2022 - Lifted by executive action[26]
Massachusetts Requirement Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education order Feb. 28, 2022 - Lifted by executive action[27]
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[28]
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

School mask bans over time


Teacher and school employee vaccine requirements

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

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)

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

Initial school year operating plan

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

Massachusetts released an initial operating plan for the 2020-2021 school year on June 8, 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.

The Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education released preliminary guidance for reopening schools on June 8. On June 24, Gov. Charlie Baker (R) released additional guidance for reopening schools. In a press conference, Baker said, “Continued isolation poses very real risks to our kids’ mental and physical health, and to their educational development. This plan will allow schools to responsibly do what is best for students, which is to bring them back to school to learn and grow.”

Following negotiations with the state’s teachers unions, Education Commissioner Jeff Riley announced on July 27 that the 2020-2021 school year would be reduced from 180 to 170 days to give schools more time to prepare, with classes starting no later than Sept. 16. According to EdWeek, public schools in Massachusetts traditionally start the academic year in late August to early September.

On March 15, Gov. Baker closed schools from March 17 to April 6. On March 25, Baker extended the closure through May 1. The governor closed schools for the rest of the academic year on April 21.

Context

Massachusetts has a divided government. The governor is a Republican, and Democrats have majorities in both chambers of the state legislature. The state has had a divided government since 2015.

The following tables show public education statistics in Massachusetts, 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.

Massachusetts school metrics
Category Figure Rank
Per pupil spending (16-17) $18,568 7
Number of students (18-19) 951,631 17
Number of teachers (Fall 2016) 72,413 13
Number of public schools (18-19) 1,853 21
Student:teacher ratio (18-19) 13.0 41
Percent qualifying for free/reduced lunch (16-17) 39.9% 40


Massachusetts school revenue
Category Figure Rank
Total revenue $17,197,389,000 11
Federal revenue percent 5.3% 47
State revenue percent 39.1% 43
Local revenue percent 55.6% 6

Details

District reopening plans

Districts are responsible for developing their own specific reopening plans for three possible learning models: all in-person learning, all remote, and a hybrid of the two. Preliminary plans were due at the end of July, with comprehensive plans due Aug. 10. These plans have to be submitted to the state as well as released publicly.

In-person, hybrid, and online learning

The state working group has prioritized returning “as many students as possible to in-person school settings,” but asked districts to have three separate plans “to ensure continuity of learning throughout the school year, even if circumstances change.”

For the in-person model, districts are told to plan for school five days a week. Alternative school spaces, such as libraries and cafeterias, as well as external spaces such as community centers, should be used as classrooms to reduce class size and increase distancing. Class sizes should also be reduced by using specialist teachers as core teachers when possible. Students are to be placed in classes/cohorts and kept together when possible.

For the hybrid model, two distinct groups of students should be isolated and attend school in-person on different weeks, different days of the week, or half days each day. High-needs students and students without Internet and/or computer access should be prioritized for in-person learning.

Mask requirements

Students in second grade and above are required to wear facial coverings, while students in kindergarten and first grade are encouraged to wear them, with family-provided face coverings. All adults are required to wear face coverings.

In-person health recommendations and requirements

Schools are encouraged to keep students six feet apart when possible, with three feet required. Similarly, desks are recommended to be six feet apart but no less than three feet apart, and all face the same direction.

Students should be grouped into cohorts/classes that remain together throughout the day, with contact between cohorts/classes minimized. There is no maximum group size, as long as minimum physical distancing is possible.

While schools should provide information to families on how to check for symptoms, screening procedures, including temperature checks, are not required to enter a school. Hand washing or sanitizing is required upon arriving at school, before eating, before putting on and removing masks, and before being dismissed.

Schools are required to have an isolation space separate from the nurse’s office where students displaying symptoms can be moved until a family member picks them up.

Transportation and busing requirements and restrictions

The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education released separate guidance on July 22 covering transportation. Under these guidelines, everyone riding on the bus must wear a mask. Unless there is inclement weather, windows are to be kept open at all times. Students will have assigned seats, with one to each seat, and capacity reduced by bus size. Districts are advised to consider adding routes, staggering start and end times, and encourage alternative transportation.

Responses

The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education released separate guidance on July 22 covering transportation. Under these guidelines, everyone riding on the bus must wear a mask. Unless there is inclement weather, windows are to be kept open at all times. Students will have assigned seats, with one to each seat, and capacity reduced by bus size. Districts are advised to consider adding routes, staggering start and end times, and encourage alternative transportation.

Map of school closures

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)

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

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

General resources

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.


See also

Footnotes

  1. ↑ National Center for Education Statistics, "Number of operating public schools and districts, student membership, teachers, and pupil/teacher ratio, by state or jurisdiction: School year 2019–20," accessed September 10, 2021
  2. ↑ EducationWeek, "Map: Where Were Schools Required to Be Open for the 2020-21 School Year?," June 14, 2021
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 The Center Square, "Massachusetts to lift school mask mandate Feb. 28," February 9, 2022
  4. ↑ Boston.com, "Massachusetts extends school mask mandate through February," January 10, 2022
  5. ↑ Massachusetts Executive Office of Education, "Department of Elementary and Secondary Education Commissioner Riley Extends Mask Requirement in Schools," October 26, 2021
  6. ↑ Boston.com, "Here’s the first Massachusetts school allowed to lift its mask rules for vaccinated individuals," October 12, 2021
  7. ↑ Boston.com, "Massachusetts extends school mask mandate until at least Nov. 1," September 27, 2021
  8. ↑ To read more about Burbio's school disruption tracking, click here
  9. ↑ Burbio, "Burbio's K-12 School Opening Tracker," accessed August 27, 2021
  10. ↑ Boston Herald, "Massachusetts education board approves school mask mandate until at least Oct. 1," August 24, 2021
  11. ↑ Burbio rated Massachusetts' in-person index at 100. To read more about Burbio's school opening tracker, click here. To read more about Burbio's methodology, click here.
  12. ↑ Burbio, "Burbio's K-12 School Opening Tracker," accessed Oct. 6, 2021
  13. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named MA517
  14. ↑ Burbio rated Massachusetts' in-person index between 20-40. To read more about Burbio's school opening tracker, click here. To read more about Burbio's methodology, click here.
  15. ↑ Burbio, "Burbio's K-12 School Opening Tracker," accessed Oct. 6, 2021
  16. ↑ NBC Boston, "Amid Pandemic, Mass. Schools Given 10 Extra Days to Prepare for Reopening," July 28, 2020
  17. ↑ The Boston Globe, "State guidelines for when Mass. schools reopen: masks, meals in classrooms, no temperature checks," June 24, 2020
  18. ↑ CBS Boston, "Fall Reopening Memo For Massachusetts Schools: Masks Required, Limit Class Size To 10," June 8, 2020
  19. ↑ The Boston Globe, "Baker orders schools stay closed through the end of the school year," April 21, 2020
  20. ↑ CBS Boston, "Coronavirus Closures: Gov. Baker Orders All Mass. Schools Stay Closed Until May 4," March 25, 2020
  21. ↑ Boston Globe, "Baker closes schools, restricts restaurants, bans gatherings over 25 as community spread of coronavirus seen in 7 Mass. counties," March 15, 2020
  22. ↑ On Sept. 2, 2021 the ban was temporarily suspended by court action. An appeals court upheld the ban on Sept. 10.
  23. ↑ Gov. J.B. Pritzker (D) ended the statewide school mask requirement on Feb. 28, 2022.
  24. ↑ On Sept. 13, 2021 the ban was temporarily suspended by court action for all schools. On Jan. 25, 2022, the ban was partially reinstated.
  25. ↑ Oct. 26, 2021 - School districts could be exempt from the school mask requirement if they followed CDC quarantine guidance
  26. ↑ Dec. 7, 2021 - School districts could be exempt from the school mask requirement if they met one of the three following criteria: 1) the county vaccination rate was 80% or higher, 2) 80% of school staff and students were vaccinated, or 3) COVID-19 transmission in the county was considered moderate or low for 14 straight days.
  27. ↑ Oct. 1 - Schools could become exempt from the school mask requirement when at least 80% of students were vaccinated
  28. ↑ On Nov. 10, 2021 the ban was suspended by court action. An appeals court upheld the ban on Dec. 1.
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