Everything you need to know about ranked-choice voting in one spot. Click to learn more!

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

From Ballotpedia
Jump to: navigation, search
Scroll here for more articles
Documenting America's Path.png
Current coverage
Active COVID-19 emergency orders • Changes to emergency power laws • Federal government responses • Mask requirements • School policies in the 2021-2022 academic year • State vaccine requirement (vaccine passport) policies • State employee vaccine requirements • State plans to end federal unemployment • State unemployment filings • Travel restrictions • Vaccine distribution plans
Vaccines
School policies
Mask requirements
Federal pandemic responses
Travel restrictions
Elections
Economy and society
State policies
Debate about government responses
Click here to see our complete coronavirus coverage
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 Alabama 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 Alabama 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

  • Sept. 9, 2021: At the beginning of the school year, Burbio, a school data aggregator, reported thirty-two in-person schooling disruptions in Alabama.[3][4]
  • July 30, 2021: The Alabama Department of Public Health released back-to-school guidance for the 2021-2022 school year.[5]


2020-2021 school year

  • June 29, 2021: At the end of the school year, Burbio reported most schools were in-person in Alabama .[6][7]
  • Sept. 10, 2020: At the beginning of the school year, Burbio reported a majority of schools were using virtual or hybrid learning in Alabama .[8][9]
  • August 3, 2020: The Alabama Department of Public Health released an 85-page school reopening toolkit. It contained recommendations and guidelines for school districts to incorporate into their reopening plans.[10]
  • July 29, 2020: Gov. Kay Ivey (R) extended her Safer At Home Order through August 31. She modified the order’s existing mask mandate to extend to students at schools (second grade and older) and colleges.[11]
  • June 26, 2020: Superintendent Eric Mackey released reopening guidance for schools. Mackey said that the 50-page document was not a mandate but that it should be used by school districts to craft their individual reopening plans.[12]
  • May 21, 2020: Ivey announced that schools could reopen beginning June 1 if they followed social distancing and sanitation guidelines.[13]


2019-2020 school year

  • March 26, 2020: Ivey announced that schools would be closed for the remainder of the academic year. Prior to the announcement, schools were scheduled to reopen on April 6.[14]
  • March 13, 2020: Ivey closed schools across the state from March 18 through April 5. She said that students absent from school on March 16-17 would be considered excused.[15]

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[16]
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[17]
Iowa Ban Legislative action May 16, 2022 - Reinstated by court action[18]
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[19]
Maryland Requirement Maryland State Board of Education order March 1, 2022 - Lifted by executive action[20]
Massachusetts Requirement Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education order Feb. 28, 2022 - Lifted by executive action[21]
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[22]
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: July 24, 2020

Alabama released an initial operating plan for the 2020-2021 school year on June 26, 2020. An analysis of this plan appeared in our Documenting America's Path to Recovery newsletter on July 24. The sections below include an analysis of the plan, the details of the plan, and reactions from officials to the plan.

The Alabama Department of Education (ADOE) released public school reopening guidance on June 26. Superintendent Erick Macey said the guidelines were not mandated and that school districts would create their own individualized plans.

On March 13, Gov. Kay Ivey (R) ordered public schools to close from March 18 through April 5. Ivey closed public schools for the remainder of the school year on March 26. On May 21, Ivey announced that public schools could reopen beginning June 1 if they followed social distancing and sanitation guidelines.

According to ADOE’s checklist and guidance for school-sponsored activities, public schools will reopen for the 2020-2021 academic year in August. School districts have the authority to set their exact start date.

Context

Alabama is a Republican trifecta. The governor is a Republican, and Republicans hold majorities in both chambers of the state legislature. The state became a Republican trifecta in 2011.

The following tables show public education statistics in Alabama, 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.

Alabama school metrics
Category Figure Rank
Per pupil spending (16-17) $10,780 41
Number of students (18-19) 739,304 24
Number of teachers (Fall 2016) 42,533 25
Number of public schools (18-19) 1,529 24
Student:teacher ratio (18-19) 17.6 10
Percent qualifying for free/reduced lunch (16-17) 51.6% 18


Alabama school revenue
Category Figure Rank
Total revenue $7,435,758,000 27
Federal revenue percent 11.2% 14
State revenue percent 55.5% 17
Local revenue percent 33.2% 37

Details

District reopening plans

School districts are responsible for developing their own reopening plans. The roadmap provides three levels of recommendations for districts in creating their plans:

“
  • Essential - Required by law, policy, or governmental order, or a critical practice.
  • Guidance - Best practices gleaned from research and long-term experience and highly recommended for implementation where feasible.
  • Consideration - Additional best practices informed by emerging research, recent studies, and practical experience.[23]
 ”

The guidance gives school districts the authority, based upon the recommendation of their superintendent and in consultation with the Alabama Department of Public Health and local public health officials, to determine whether and how campuses may reopen for the school year.

In-person, hybrid, and online learning

The guidance outlines three instructional scenarios for the 2020-2021 school year:

“
  • Traditional - Students attend classes in a traditional, on-campus setting.
  • Remote - Students attend classes “remotely” using a variety of virtual and paper resources. Teachers have regular check-in times and can provide virtual instruction.
  • Blended - Students transition between traditional and remote and back again based on need and preference.[23]
 ”

School districts are responsible for developing and implementing procedures for each of these three instructional scenarios. ADOE recommends all public schools provide access to both traditional and remote options throughout the 2020-2021 school year at a minimum.

Mask requirements

The roadmap defers to state guidance on face coverings. On July 15, Ivey issued a mask mandate for all individuals in public spaces and in close contact with other people through July 31. The order exempts children six years old or younger.

The roadmap also allows individual districts to issue mask mandates in the absence of a state order. It says that facial coverings can be recommended or required by a local school board.

In-person health recommendations and requirements

The roadmap does not provide specific guidance for the operation of schools in the traditional and blended instructional scenarios. School districts will determine their own guidelines.

Transportation and busing requirements and restrictions

The roadmap offers the following as a consideration for transportation in the 2020-2021 school year:

“School busing operations proceed normally unless otherwise indicated; handrails should be disinfected often. Students should face forward and not lean across seats.”

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 other 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. ↑ To read more about Burbio's school disruption tracking, click here
  4. ↑ Burbio, "Burbio's K-12 School Opening Tracker," accessed August 27, 2021
  5. ↑ Alabama Department of Public Health, "Back to School Guidance," accessed August 4, 2021
  6. ↑ Burbio rated Alabama's in-person index at 96.5. To read more about Burbio's school opening tracker, click here. To read more about Burbio's methodology, click here.
  7. ↑ Burbio, "Burbio's K-12 School Opening Tracker," accessed September 29, 2021
  8. ↑ Burbio rated Alabama's in-person index at between 20-40. To read more about Burbio's school opening tracker, click here. To read more about Burbio's methodology, click here.
  9. ↑ Burbio, "Burbio's K-12 School Opening Tracker," accessed September 29, 2021
  10. ↑ WSFA, "ADPH releases toolkit for reopening schools ," August 3, 2020
  11. ↑ Alabama News Network, "Mask Required in Alabama Schools & Colleges, Governor Ivey Extends Safer At Home Order Until August 31," July 29, 2020
  12. ↑ Montgomery Advertiser, "Alabama State Superintendent Eric Mackey unveils schools reopening plans for fall 2020," June 26, 2020
  13. ↑ Governor of Alabama, "Safer at Home Order," accessed May 22, 2020
  14. ↑ AL.com, "Alabama schools closed for the rest of year, instruction goes online," March 26, 2020
  15. ↑ WHNT, "State of Emergency issued, public schools to close, COVID-19 case confirmed in North Alabama," March 13, 2020
  16. ↑ On Sept. 2, 2021 the ban was temporarily suspended by court action. An appeals court upheld the ban on Sept. 10.
  17. ↑ Gov. J.B. Pritzker (D) ended the statewide school mask requirement on Feb. 28, 2022.
  18. ↑ On Sept. 13, 2021 the ban was temporarily suspended by court action for all schools. On Jan. 25, 2022, the ban was partially reinstated.
  19. ↑ Oct. 26, 2021 - School districts could be exempt from the school mask requirement if they followed CDC quarantine guidance
  20. ↑ 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.
  21. ↑ Oct. 1 - Schools could become exempt from the school mask requirement when at least 80% of students were vaccinated
  22. ↑ On Nov. 10, 2021 the ban was suspended by court action. An appeals court upheld the ban on Dec. 1.
  23. ↑ 23.0 23.1 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
Retrieved from "https://ballotpedia.org/wiki/index.php?title=School_responses_in_Alabama_to_the_coronavirus_(COVID-19)_pandemic&oldid=8572957"