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School responses in Illinois 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 Illinois 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 Illinois 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: Gov. J.B. Pritzker (D) ended the statewide school mask requirement. He made the announcement on Feb. 25. Illinois' school mask requirement wasn't in effect at the time since it had previously been suspended on Feb. 4 by state court action.[3]
  • Feb. 25, 2022: The Illinois Supreme Court denied Gov. J.B. Pritzker's (D) appeal of a lower court's ruling overturning the statewide school mask requirement.[4]
  • Feb. 17, 2022: The Illinois Fourth District Appellate Court dismissed Gov. J.B. Pritzker's (D) appeal of a lower court's ruling overturning the statewide school mask requirement. In the ruling, the judges said a decision by a legislative committee denying the renewal of the requirement meant that the policy was null and void.[5]
  • Feb. 4, 2022: Sangamon County Circuit Court Judge Raylene Grischow issued a ruling overturning Illinois' statewide school mask requirement and teacher vaccine requirement, among other coronavirus-related school policies issued by Gov. J.B. Pritzker (D).[6]
  • Sept. 9, 2021: At the beginning of the school year, Burbio, a school data aggregator, reported six in-person schooling disruptions in Illinois.[7][8]
  • Sept. 3, 2021: Gov. J.B. Pritzker (D) extended the first dose vaccination deadline for teachers and school staff to Sept. 19. The original deadline was Sept. 5.[9]
  • Aug. 26, 2021: Gov. J.B. Pritzker (D) announced a coronavirus vaccine or regular testing requirement for public and private pre-K through 12 teachers and staff, higher education teachers and staff, students in higher education, and healthcare workers, effective Sept. 5.[10]
  • Aug. 4, 2021: Gov. J.B. Pritzker (D) announced masks would be required in all Illinois public schools for vaccinated and unvaccinated individuals.[11]
  • July 9, 2021: Illinois Superintendent of Education Carmen Ayala issued a declaration requiring in-person learning for the 2021-2022 school year. Remote instruction will be available to students who are unable to receive a coronavirus vaccine.[12]


2020-2021 school year

  • June 29, 2021: At the end of the school year, Burbio reported a majority of schools were in-person in Illinois .[13][14]
  • Sept. 10, 2020: At the beginning of the school year, Burbio reported most schools were using virtual or hybrid learning in Illinois .[15][16]
  • June 23, 2020: Gov. J.B. Pritzker (D) released guidance for reopening schools. The guidance required face coverings for all students and staff, prohibited gatherings of more than 50 people, and established temperature screenings and social distancing protocols.[17]


2019-2020 school year

  • April 17, 2020: Pritzker closed schools for the remainder of the academic year. Prior to the announcement, schools were closed through April 30.[18]
  • March 31, 2020: Pritzker announced that the statewide school closure, scheduled to end April 7, was extended through April 30.[19]
  • March 20, 2020: Pritzker announced that the statewide school closure, scheduled to end March 31, was extended through April 7.[20]
  • March 13, 2020: Pritzker closed all schools across the state until the end of March.[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: July 27, 2020

Illinois released an initial operating plan for the 2020-2021 school year on June 23, 2020. An analysis of this plan appeared in our Documenting America's Path to Recovery newsletter on July 27. The sections below include an analysis of the plan, the details of the plan, and reactions from officials to the plan.

The Illinois State Board of Education released its school reopening guidance on June 23. The plan’s introduction says, “No amount of technology can replicate the effect of face-to-face interactions and instruction between teachers and students. This Part Three document endeavors to guide schools and districts in transitioning back to in-person learning, while holding paramount the health and safety of students and communities.”

Illinois does not have an official date for public schools to reopen, but schools have been allowed to reopen in-person operations since the state entered Phase 3 of its economic and social reopening plan on May 29. According to EdWeek, public schools in Illinois traditionally start the academic year between mid-August and early September, with the exact start date varying by district. On March 13, Gov. J.B. Pritzker (D) closed public schools through the end of March. The closure was extended on March 20 and again on March 31. Pritzker ended the public school year on April 9.

Context

Illinois is a Democratic trifecta. The governor is a Democrat, and Democrats hold majorities in both chambers of the state legislature. The state became a Democratic trifecta in 2019.

The following tables show public education statistics in Illinois, 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.

Illinois school metrics
Category Figure Rank
Per pupil spending (16-17) $17,066 10
Number of students (18-19) 1,966,209 5
Number of teachers (Fall 2016) 128,893 5
Number of public schools (18-19) 4,345 4
Student:teacher ratio (18-19) 15.0 24
Percent qualifying for free/reduced lunch (16-17) 50.2% 20


Illinois school revenue
Category Figure Rank
Total revenue $27,304,004,000 6
Federal revenue percent 8.3% 29
State revenue percent 24.9% 50
Local revenue percent 66.8% 1

Details

District reopening plans
School districts are required to develop and publicly post a Remote Learning Days and Blended Remote Learning Day Plan, which the district superintendent must approve. The plans must address the following:

  • Accessibility of the remote instruction to all students enrolled in the district;
  • When applicable, a requirement that the Remote Learning Day and Blended Remote Learning Day activities reflect the Illinois Learning Standards;
  • Means for students to confer with an educator, as necessary;
  • The unique needs of students in special populations, including, but not limited to, students eligible for special education under Article 14; students who are English Learners, as defined in Section 14C-2; students experiencing homelessness under the Education for Homeless Children Act [105 ILCS 45]; or vulnerable student populations;
  • How the district will take attendance and monitor and verify each student's remote participation; and
  • Transitions from remote learning to on-site learning upon the State Superintendent's declaration that Remote Learning Days and Blended Remote Learning Days are no longer deemed necessary.

In-person, hybrid, and online learning In-person operations at schools are encouraged to resume in Phase 4 regions with precautions to allow for social distancing. Schools and districts are allowed to use hybrid schedules and online integration as necessary. According to the plan, “Data and feedback should be analyzed through an equity lens to determine what student groups may need greater supports to meet high standards in a Remote or Blended Remote Learning environment.”

Mask requirements
All individuals older than the age of two who can safely do so must wear a mask in public and nonpublic school buildings. According to the plan, “Face coverings must be worn at all times in school buildings even when social distancing is maintained. Face coverings do not need to be worn outside if social distance is maintained. It is recommended that schools require physicians notes for students and staff who are not able to wear a face covering due to trouble breathing. It is recommended that schools and districts update policies to require the wearing a face covering while on school grounds and handle violations in the same manner as other policy violations.”

In-person health recommendations and requirements
In-person instruction was permitted in Phase 3 and the state encourages it in Phase 4, in compliance with the following requirements for public and private schools:

  • Require use of appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE), including face coverings;
  • Prohibit more than 50 individuals from gathering in one space;
  • Require social distancing be observed, as much as possible;
  • Require that schools conduct symptom screenings and temperature checks or require that individuals self-certify that they are free of symptoms before entering school buildings; and
  • Require an increase in schoolwide cleaning and disinfection.

For more information on health protocols, click here (page 30).

Transportation and busing requirements and restrictions
Illinois’ plan contains the following requirements for student transportation:

  • All individuals on a bus or van must wear a face covering.
  • No more than 50 people are allowed on a bus in Phase 4.
  • Drivers and students must undergo symptom and temperature checks before boarding.

Illinois’ plan also says buses should be disinfected at least daily. It also recommends districts implement visual guides (such as tape or decals specifying where students can and cannot sit) and assigned seating charts.

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. ↑ ABC News, "Illinois governor to end mask mandate for schools next week," February 25, 2022
  4. ↑ Illinois Policy, "ILLINOIS SUPREME COURT DENIES PRITZKER’S APPEAL OF SCHOOL MASK MANDATE DECISIONS, SCHOOLS MOVE TO MASK OPTIONAL FEB. 28," February 25, 2022
  5. ↑ ABC 7, "Illinois appellate court dismisses school mask mandate appeal from Governor JB Pritzker," February 18, 2022
  6. ↑ NBC Chicago, "Illinois School Mask Mandate Blocked by Judge's Ruling. Now What's Next?" February 5, 2022
  7. ↑ To read more about Burbio's school disruption tracking, click here
  8. ↑ Burbio, "Burbio's K-12 School Opening Tracker," accessed August 27, 2021
  9. ↑ Illinois Office of the Governor, "Gov. Pritzker Extends Vaccine Deadline at Request of Hospital and School Leaders," September 3, 2021
  10. ↑ YouTube, "Gov. Pritzker announces mask mandate, school vaccine requirement," August 26, 2021
  11. ↑ MyWabashValley.com, "Governor announces masks will be required in all Illinois schools," August 4, 2021
  12. ↑ Rockford Register Star, "Illinois State Board of Education mandates return to in-person learning," July 9, 2021
  13. ↑ Burbio rated Illinois' in-person index at 73.5. To read more about Burbio's school opening tracker, click here. To read more about Burbio's methodology, click here.
  14. ↑ Burbio, "Burbio's K-12 School Opening Tracker," accessed Oct. 6, 2021
  15. ↑ Burbio rated Illinois' in-person index between 0-20. To read more about Burbio's school opening tracker, click here. To read more about Burbio's methodology, click here.
  16. ↑ Burbio, "Burbio's K-12 School Opening Tracker," accessed Oct. 6, 2021
  17. ↑ ABC7, "Illinois school reopening plan released, classes to resume in fall," June 23, 2020
  18. ↑ WBEZ, "Illinois Governor Shuts Schools For The Duration Of The School Year," April 17, 2020
  19. ↑ NBC Chicago, "Illinois Schools to Remain Closed to On-Site Learning Through April 30," March 31, 2020
  20. ↑ NBC Chicago, "Illinois Schools’ Closure Extended Through April 7," March 20, 2020
  21. ↑ Fox32 Chicago, "Illinois shuts down all schools due to coronavirus," September 14, 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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