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School responses in Nevada 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 Nevada 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 Nevada 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. 10, 2022: Gov. Steve Sisolak (D) lifted the statewide school mask requirement, transferring authority for mask decisions to local jurisdictions.[3]
  • Sept. 9, 2021: At the beginning of the school year, Burbio, a school data aggregator, reported four in-person schooling disruptions in Nevada.[4][5]
  • Aug. 4, 2021: Gov. Steve Sisolak (D) issued an order requiring staff and students at public, private, and charter schools in counties with more than 100,000 people to wear face masks while in school buildings or buses. Sisolak’s initial directive applied to schools in all counties. School superintendent objections prompted him to issue an additional order later in the afternoon exempting schools in counties with fewer than 100,000 people.[6]


2020-2021 school year

  • June 29, 2021: At the end of the school year, Burbio reported a majority of schools were in-person in Nevada .[7][8]
  • April 13, 2021: Nevada Gov. Steve Sisolak (D) announced that, on May 1, county school districts would gain control over all COVID-19 mitigation measures.[9]
  • Sept. 10, 2020: At the beginning of the school year, Burbio reported a majority of schools were using virtual or hybrid learning in Nevada .[10][11]
  • July 28, 2020: Gov. Steve Sisolak (D) issued a directive ordering all staff and students from K-12 to wear a mask in school at all times. The directive also imposed social distancing guidelines of three feet for preschools through middle schools, and six feet for high schools.[12]
  • June 24, 2020: The Nevada Department of Education released guidance for distance education for the 2020-2021 school year. The guidance included requirements for frequency of teacher-student contact, calendar changes, and implementing hybrid learning systems.[13]
  • June 9, 2020: Sisolak signed an executive order allowing schools to reopen buildings and athletic facilities effective immediately.[14]


2019-2020 school year

  • April 22, 2020: Sisolak 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 April 30.[15]
  • April 1, 2020: Sisolak issued a stay-at-home order effective from April 1 to April 30. This extended the statewide school closure, scheduled to end on April 16, through April 30.[16]
  • March 21, 2020: Sisolak announced that the statewide school closure, scheduled to end April 6, was extended to April 16.[17]
  • March 15, 2020: Sisolak announced that schools across the state would close until at least April 6, beginning on March 16.[18]

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[19]
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[20]
Iowa Ban Legislative action May 16, 2022 - Reinstated by court action[21]
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[22]
Maryland Requirement Maryland State Board of Education order March 1, 2022 - Lifted by executive action[23]
Massachusetts Requirement Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education order Feb. 28, 2022 - Lifted by executive action[24]
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[25]
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 21, 2020

Nevada released an initial operating plan for the 2020-2021 school year on June 9, 2020. An analysis of this plan appeared in our Documenting America's Path to Recovery newsletter on July 21. The sections below include an analysis of the plan, the details of the plan, and reactions from officials to the plan.

The Nevada Department of Education released school reopening guidance on June 9. According to the plan’s introduction, “This document is designed to help districts and schools make community-based decisions regarding the re-opening of school buildings and builds on their unique strengths to address local challenges. We hope the Framework will serve as a starting point for conversations. It is not formal guidance or a directive. While we hope that the Framework will be a valuable resource, districts and schools may apply the concepts and guidelines of the Framework at their discretion and as relevant to local circumstances.”

On the day the Department of Education released the guidance, Gov. Steve Sisolak (D) issued a directive requiring school districts, charter schools, and private schools to develop individualized reopening plans. The plans must be made public and approved by a district or school’s governing body at least 20 days before the 2020-2021 school year begins.

On March 15, Gov. Sisolak closed public schools through April 6. The state extended the closure on March 21 and again on April 1. Sisolak ended the public school year on April 22.

Nevada does not have a statewide date for schools to reopen, but they have been allowed to reopen since June 10. According to EdWeek, public schools in Nevada traditionally start the academic year between mid- and late August, with the exact start date varying by district.

The plan encourages decision-makers to refer to the CDC’s school reopening decision tree in assessing whether or not they should resume in-person operations.

Context

Nevada 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 Nevada, 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.

Nevada school metrics
Category Figure Rank
Per pupil spending (16-17) $10,528 43
Number of students (18-19) 498,614 32
Number of teachers (Fall 2016) 23,705 35
Number of public schools (18-19) 745 39
Student:teacher ratio (18-19) 21.5 13
Percent qualifying for free/reduced lunch (16-17) 60.8% 8


Nevada school revenue
Category Figure Rank
Total revenue $4,522,125,000 35
Federal revenue percent 9.2% 23
State revenue percent 35.9% 45
Local revenue percent 54.9% 7

Details

District reopening plans

Districts, character schools, and private schools are required to develop their own specific reopening plans. The plans have to be publicly available and approved by the body governing the district or school at least 20 days before the school year begins.

In-person, hybrid, and online learning

The plan recommends schools reopen using a hybrid schedule that incorporates online and in-person learning. However, the plan suggests local schools and boards work with local health authorities to develop an appropriate schedule using the online and in-person resources at their disposal.

Mask requirements

The guidance recommends that schools require students and faculty to wear masks whenever feasible. The document says mask-wearing is especially important when social distancing cannot be maintained.

In-person health recommendations and requirements

The reopening plan recommends schools develop answers to the following questions to ensure general in-person operations resume safely:

“
  • Who will be responsible for overall maintenance during daily operations?
  • How will you determine if external entities will be allowed to use outdoor facilities, fields, playgrounds, etc. (e.g., teams, clubs, and other groups within the school community)?
  • Will all students and staff be brought back at one time or gradually starting with a small group before expanding?
  • What data will be used and who will be involved/consulted in the decision-making?
  • How do you ensure buildings and facilities are cleaned and ready to welcome students?
  • Who is responsible for adjustments to HVAC systems to maximize indoor air quality, and at what intervals will verifications be needed?
  • What steps will be taken to ensure that all water systems and features are safe to use after a prolonged facility shutdown to minimize the risk of Legionnaires’ disease and other diseases associated with water?
  • Are there any parts of your campus that you need to close to students in the interest of health and safety (e.g., playgrounds)?
  • How will the following considerations be examined and resolved?
    • Not enough classroom space for social distancing (i.e. desks to be 6-feet apart)
    • Closing or limited use of cafeterias and playgrounds
    • Extended time for the use of facilities
    • Teachers rotate rather than students to reduce corridor/hallway traffic
    • Playgrounds and field usage – cleaning standards
    • Building systems and equipment cleaning standards[26]
 ”

Transportation and busing requirements and restrictions

Nevada’s reopening plan suggested schools and boards answer the following questions regarding busing and transportation:

“
  • How will you determine the usage of bus transportation based on the district/school facility usage plan, school schedules, school calendar, and the number of buses and/or drivers that a school district has available? …
  • What process will you use to review the capacity of the bus fleet as capacity may be severely decreased with physical/social distancing? …
  • What type of training will school bus drivers need before transporting students? How will drivers be informed about new policies and procedures, including how to effectively and efficiently clean their buses? ...
  • Who has the responsibility to ensure that buses have the markings and signage necessary to ensure physical distancing?
  • How will you ensure the safety of school bus drivers who cannot be 6 feet away from passengers as they board and disembark the bus? If funding is available, consider installing plastic barriers to provide extra protection for the driver from the students.
  • How will you determine and implement guidelines for the transportation of students who are at higher risk of exposure and/or transmission of an illness?
  • How will the district or school communicate screening concerns (i.e. a student was screened at school and exhibited symptoms) to drivers and transportation aides?
  • Consider providing PPE to be used by the drivers and transportation aides and promote student use of cloth face coverings.
  • Will you require students and staff to use hand sanitizer upon boarding the bus?[26]
 ”

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. ↑ Associated Press, "Nevada governor rescinds mask mandate effective immediately," February 10, 2022
  4. ↑ To read more about Burbio's school disruption tracking, click here
  5. ↑ Burbio, "Burbio's K-12 School Opening Tracker," accessed August 27, 2021
  6. ↑ Tahoe Daily Tribune, "Nevada governor backs off requiring masks for students in Douglas, other rural counties," August 5, 2021
  7. ↑ Burbio rated Nevada's in-person index at 74. To read more about Burbio's school opening tracker, click here. To read more about Burbio's methodology, click here.
  8. ↑ Burbio, "Burbio's K-12 School Opening Tracker," accessed Oct. 8, 2021
  9. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named NV413
  10. ↑ Burbio rated Nevada's 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.
  11. ↑ Burbio, "Burbio's K-12 School Opening Tracker," accessed Oct. 8, 2021
  12. ↑ Las Vegas Review-Journal, "Sisolak issues social distancing directive for Nevada schools," July 28, 2020
  13. ↑ Nevada Department of Education, "Guidance for Path Forward Programs of Distance Education," June 24, 2020
  14. ↑ Las Vegas Review-Journal, "Sisolak says Nevada schools can reopen facilities immediately," June 9, 2020
  15. ↑ Reno Gazette Journal, "Sisolak: Schools closed for remainder of 2019-20 year, details criteria to reopen economy," April 22, 2020
  16. ↑ The Hill, "Nevada governor extends state shutdown until end of April, orders residents to stay at home," April 1, 2020
  17. ↑ Pahrump Valley Times, "Sisolak extends closure of Nevada K-12 schools to April 16," March 21, 2020
  18. ↑ Las Vegas Review-Journal, "Sisolak orders closure of Nevada schools to slow coronavirus spread," March 15, 2020
  19. ↑ On Sept. 2, 2021 the ban was temporarily suspended by court action. An appeals court upheld the ban on Sept. 10.
  20. ↑ Gov. J.B. Pritzker (D) ended the statewide school mask requirement on Feb. 28, 2022.
  21. ↑ On Sept. 13, 2021 the ban was temporarily suspended by court action for all schools. On Jan. 25, 2022, the ban was partially reinstated.
  22. ↑ Oct. 26, 2021 - School districts could be exempt from the school mask requirement if they followed CDC quarantine guidance
  23. ↑ 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.
  24. ↑ Oct. 1 - Schools could become exempt from the school mask requirement when at least 80% of students were vaccinated
  25. ↑ On Nov. 10, 2021 the ban was suspended by court action. An appeals court upheld the ban on Dec. 1.
  26. ↑ 26.0 26.1 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
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