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School responses in Florida 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 Florida 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 Florida during the coronavirus pandemic between 2019 and 2021, 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

2020-2021 school year

  • June 29, 2021: At the end of the school year, Burbio reported all schools were in-person in Florida .[3][4]
  • Sept. 10, 2020: At the beginning of the school year, Burbio reported a majority of schools were in-person in Florida .[5][6]
  • August 31, 2020: Public schools were required to reopen for in-person instruction five days per week no later than August 31, according to the Florida Department of Education's order.[7]
  • August 28, 2020: Florida’s First District Court of Appeals put a hold on Florida Second Circuit Court Judge Charles W. Dodson’s ruling that Education Commissioner Richard Corcoran’s order requiring schools to open for in-person instruction was unconstitutional.[8]
  • August 24, 2020: Dodson issued a temporary injunction against Corcoran’s order requiring schools to open for in-person instruction by the end of August. In his decision, Dodson called Corcoran’s order “unconstitutional to the extent that it arbitrarily disregards safety, denies local school boards' decision making with respect to reopening brick and mortar schools, and conditions funding on an approved reopening plan with a start date in August.”[9]
  • July 6, 2020: The Florida Department of Education ordered that all school boards and charter school governing boards must physically open schools for at least five days per week for all students beginning in August.[10]
  • June 11, 2020: Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) announced that he expected schools to reopen at full capacity in August. The Florida Department of Education released guidance for schools including social distancing guidelines, the conversion of common spaces (such as libraries, gyms, and auditoriums) into classroom areas, and disinfection protocols.[11]


2019-2020 school year

  • April 18, 2020: DeSantis closed schools for the remainder of the academic year. Prior to the announcement, schools were closed through May 1.[12]
  • March 30, 2020: The Florida Department of Education announced that the statewide school closure, scheduled to end April 14, was extended through May 1.[13]
  • March 17, 2020: DeSantis extended the public school closure through April 14.[14]
  • March 13, 2020: The Florida Department of Education closed schools across the state for two weeks effective March 16.[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 14, 2020

Florida released an initial operating plan for the 2020-2021 school year on June 11, 2020. An analysis of this plan appeared in our Documenting America's Path to Recovery newsletter on July 14. The sections below include an analysis of the plan, the details of the plan, and reactions from officials to the plan.

The Florida Department of Education has published approved plans on its website. To view approved plans for each district, click here.

On June 11, the Florida Department of Education released reopening guidance for public schools. That same day, Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) said that he expected schools to reopen to in-person instruction at full capacity in August.

On March 13, the state Department of Education closed public schools for two weeks effective March 16. The state extended the closure twice, on March 17 and March 30, before DeSantis ended the public school year on April 18.

Florida does not have a statewide date for schools to reopen. According to EdWeek, public schools in Florida traditionally start the school year between early and mid-August, with the exact start date varying by district.

Context

Florida 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 Florida, 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.

Florida school metrics
Category Figure Rank
Per pupil spending (16-17) $10,606 42
Number of students (18-19) 2,846,429 3
Number of teachers (Fall 2016) 186,339 4
Number of public schools (18-19) 4,234 5
Student:teacher ratio (18-19) 17.3 11
Percent qualifying for free/reduced lunch (16-17) 58.10% 12


Florida school revenue
Category Figure Rank
Total revenue $26,789,374,000 7
Federal revenue percent 11.9% 9
State revenue percent 39.8% 41
Local revenue percent 40.2% 17

Details

District reopening plans
The guidance does not provide any specific rules for schools to follow and instead defers to guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Florida Department of Health, and local health authorities. On July 6, Education Commissioner Richard Corcoran said that each school district, charter school governing board, and private school that accepts state scholarship money must develop and submit a reopening plan to the state that meets the requirements laid out in the guidance.

In-person, hybrid, and online learning
The guidance itself does not dictate whether public schools must use a fully in-person schedule, a hybrid model, or online-only learning. On July 6, Corcoran said that all schools must be open for in-person instruction five days per week.

Mask requirements
The guidance encourages schools to follow CDC guidelines on cloth face coverings. It does not mandate the use of face coverings but says that schools should, at a minimum, be supportive of students and staff who voluntarily wear face coverings.

In-person health recommendations and requirements
The guidance provides several recommendations for districts to follow social distancing recommendations from the CDC, including modifying the school day and altering drop-off and pick-up procedures. On modifying the school day:

  • * Keep groups of students together throughout the day to minimize the number of people in close contact with each person
  • * Convert cafeterias, libraries, and other large spaces into classroom space
  • * Allow students in eat meals in traditional classrooms or outdoors
  • * Limit nonessential mass gatherings or reschedule as virtual meetings

On drop-off and pickup:

  • * Set up hand hygiene stations at or near entrance and exit points
  • * Create distinct entrance and exit points to avoid congestion
  • * Stagger arrival and drop-off times to reduce potential congestion
  • * Have the same individual drop off and pick up a child every day
  • * Avoid having elderly or vulnerable family members pick up children

Transportation and bussing requirements and restrictions
The guidance recommends that districts and schools explore the use of cloth face coverings on school buses. It also recommends that bus and class schedules be aligned with seating arrangements when possible to create clusters of students who will spend the majority of their days together.

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. ↑ Burbio rated Florida's 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.
  4. ↑ Burbio, "Burbio's K-12 School Opening Tracker," accessed Oct. 6, 2021
  5. ↑ Burbio rated Florida's in-person index between 60-80. To read more about Burbio's school opening tracker, click here. To read more about Burbio's methodology, click here.
  6. ↑ Burbio, "Burbio's K-12 School Opening Tracker," accessed Oct. 6, 2021
  7. ↑ USA Today, "Florida schools reopened en masse, but a surge in coronavirus didn't follow, a USA TODAY analysis finds," accessed February 15, 2021
  8. ↑ News4Jax, "Florida school reopening ruling back on hold," August 28, 2020
  9. ↑ NPR, "Florida Judge Rules State Order Requiring Schools To Reopen 'Unconstitutional,'" August 24, 2020
  10. ↑ Bay News 9, "Florida: Districts Must Reopen School Campuses Next Month," July 6, 2020
  11. ↑ Tampa Bay Times, "Gov. Ron DeSantis announces plan for reopening Florida schools," June 11, 2020
  12. ↑ The Hill, "DeSantis announces K-12 schools will be closed for rest of school year in Fla." April 18, 2020
  13. ↑ WCTV, "Florida Department of Education says schools closed through at least May 1 due to COVID-19," March 30, 2020
  14. ↑ FOX13, "Florida public school campuses closed until April 15, state cancels all testing for K-12 schools," March 17, 2020
  15. ↑ FOX 13, "All Florida public schools to close for 2 weeks to limit coronavirus spread," 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.
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