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School responses in Indiana 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 Indiana 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 Indiana 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 fifteen in-person schooling disruptions in Indiana.[3][4]
  • Sept. 1, 2021: Gov. Eric Holcomb (R) issued an order exempting schools and daycare centers with consistent mask usage from quarantine requirements. The exemption applied to a student, staff member, or teacher who was a close contact of someone who tested positive for COVID-19, but showed no symptoms.[5]


2020-2021 school year

  • June 29, 2021: At the end of the school year, Burbio reported most schools were in-person in Indiana .[6][7]
  • Sept. 10, 2020: At the beginning of the school year, Burbio reported a majority of schools were in-person in Indiana .[8][9]
  • August 3, 2020: Gov. Eric Holcomb (R) modified the mask mandate for schools to allow students to remove masks in a classroom when they could maintain three to six feet of distance between themselves and others.[10]
  • June 5, 2020: Indiana released guidelines for schools to consider before reopening. The guidelines included requiring face coverings and social distancing rules. Schools in Indiana were allowed to reopen for in-person instruction beginning July 1.[11]


2019-2020 school year

  • April 2, 2020: Gov. Eric Holcomb (R) announced that schools in the state would remain closed through the end of the academic year. Prior to this order, schools were scheduled to be closed through May 1.[12]
  • March 19, 2020: Holcomb closed all schools in the state until May 1.[13]
  • March 12, 2020: Holcomb issued a 20-day waiver to school corporations. The waived days could be used for the remainder of the academic year and were not required to be used consecutively.[14]

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[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

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 13, 2020

Indiana released its reopening plan on June 5, 2020. An analysis of this plan appeared in our Documenting America's Path to Recovery newsletter on July 13. The sections below include an analysis of the reopening plan, the details of the plan, and reactions from officials to the plan.

On June 5, the state released its guidance for reopening schools, titled Indiana's Considerations for Learning and Safe Schools. It contains recommendations for local districts to consider in consultation with local health departments to create individual reopening plans. On June 5, Indiana State Health Commissioner Dr. Kristina Box said, “We have not specified this as a mandatory thing that a school has to do. We have given some very good recommendations and guidance and really feel that our superintendents, our principals, our teachers, in conjunction with their local health departments, are the individuals that really need to make this decision about this community and for their community.”

Schools were allowed to reopen beginning July 1. At a press conference announcing the reopening on June 30, Gov. Eric Holcomb (R) said, “We believe where we are right now schools can, and should open for instruction. We wouldn't have made that decision or endorsed the proposal to go forward if we thought otherwise.” According to EdWeek, schools in Indiana traditionally start the school year between late July and mid-August, with the exact start date varying by district. Holcomb announced that all schools would be granted a 20-day waiver for required school days on March 12. The waiver allowed schools to close for a given day without needing to make the day up to complete the school year. On March 19, Holcomb issued an executive order closing all schools to in-person instruction until May 1. On April 2, he extended that order for the remainder of the school year.

Context

Indiana 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 Indiana, 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.

Indiana school metrics
Category Figure Rank
Per pupil spending (16-17) $11,306 40
Number of students (18-19) 1,055,351 15
Number of teachers (Fall 2016) 60,162 16
Number of public schools (18-19) 1,919 18
Student:teacher ratio (18-19) 17.3 12
Percent qualifying for free/reduced lunch (16-17) 47.9% 23


Indiana school revenue
Category Figure Rank
Total revenue $12,103,344,000 17
Federal revenue percent 8.2% 30
State revenue percent 56.1% 16
Local revenue percent 35.8% 33

Plan details

The sections below analyze recommendations from the guidance on health protocols, social distancing, and transportation.

Health protocols
The plan says that requirements for wearing masks should follow federal, state, and local guidelines. As of July 13, Indiana does not require face masks in public.

The plan states that if an individual exhibits one or more symptoms of COVID-19, schools should ask the individual to stay home.

For untested and symptomatic positive cases, individuals may return if they are fever-free for 72 hours, have had other symptoms improved, and are at least 10 calendar days past when symptoms first appeared. Symptomatic individuals with positive tests must also have received two negative tests at least 24 hours apart.

Asymptomatic individuals with positive tests may return if released by a healthcare provider after 10 days of exhibiting no symptoms. The 10-day requirement can be waived with written approval by a healthcare provider.

Social distancing recommendations
The plan provides several ways for districts to follow social distancing recommendations from the CDC, including school calendar modifications, changes to class structure and size, and decreasing the possibility for large gatherings of students.

The plan provides several suggestions for altering school calendars:

  • Schedule specified groups of students to attend in-person school on alternate days or half days to minimize the number of students in the building.
  • Year-round schooling with alternating breaks.
  • In-person instruction for elementary students and distance learning for older students.
  • Offer both in-person and remote instruction based on student need and parent concerns.

The plan provides several suggestions for changing class size and structure:

  • Organize students into cohorts so they stay with the same staff as much as possible.
  • Close communal use spaces such as dining halls and playgrounds if possible. Otherwise, stagger use and disinfect in between use.
  • Reorganize P.E., choir, band, and other large classes to allow for smaller classes.
  • Eliminate or reorganize assemblies, field trips, and other large gatherings.
  • Alternate recess to minimize the number of students on the playground, encourage social distancing, and allow time to disinfect equipment between uses.

The plan provides several suggestions for eliminating large gatherings of students:

  • Assign students to use different entrances or create directional paths.
  • Stagger drop-off, pick-up, and class release times.
  • Require students to stay in an assigned section of the schoolyard or playground as opposed to mingling with other classes.
  • Schedule restroom breaks to avoid overcrowding.

Transportation
The plan requires all employees to wear masks while on a bus or other transportation and instructs districts to thoroughly clean and disinfect buses before and after routes. If a driver or passenger tested positive or exhibit COVID-19 symptoms, districts must wait 24 hours before cleaning and disinfecting the vehicle.

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. ↑ 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. ↑ Indiana Office of the Governor, "Gov. Holcomb Signs COVID-19 Executive Order," September 1, 2021
  6. ↑ Burbio rated Indiana's in-person index at 94.9. 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 Oct. 6, 2021
  8. ↑ Burbio rated Indiana'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.
  9. ↑ Burbio, "Burbio's K-12 School Opening Tracker," accessed Oct. 6, 2021
  10. ↑ Tristate Homepage, "Indiana school mask requirement amended," August 3, 2020
  11. ↑ WBAA, "Coronavirus: Indiana Releases School Reopening Guidelines, State Workforce Recovery Plan," June 9, 2020
  12. ↑ Indianapolis Star, "Indiana schools closed through the end of the academic year," April 2, 2020
  13. ↑ My Wabash Valley, "Holcomb extends K-12 school closures to May 1," May 19, 2020
  14. ↑ Current, "Gov. Holcomb Announces New Steps to Protect Public from COVID-19," March 12, 2020
  15. ↑ On Sept. 2, 2021 the ban was temporarily suspended by court action. An appeals court upheld the ban on Sept. 10.
  16. ↑ Gov. J.B. Pritzker (D) ended the statewide school mask requirement on Feb. 28, 2022.
  17. ↑ On Sept. 13, 2021 the ban was temporarily suspended by court action for all schools. On Jan. 25, 2022, the ban was partially reinstated.
  18. ↑ Oct. 26, 2021 - School districts could be exempt from the school mask requirement if they followed CDC quarantine guidance
  19. ↑ 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.
  20. ↑ Oct. 1 - Schools could become exempt from the school mask requirement when at least 80% of students were vaccinated
  21. ↑ On Nov. 10, 2021 the ban was suspended by court action. An appeals court upheld the ban on Dec. 1.
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