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School responses in Rhode Island 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 Rhode Island 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 Rhode Island 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

  • March 4, 2022: Rhode Island's school mask requirement ended. Gov. Dan McKee (D) announced the change on Feb. 9.[3]
  • Feb. 9, 2022: Gov. Dan McKee (D) announced that, if the legislature votes to extend his emergency powers, he would end the school mask requirement on March 4.[3]
  • Dec. 13, 2021: Gov. Dan McKee (D) extended the state’s school mask requirement through Jan. 8, 2022.[4]
  • Sept. 9, 2021: At the beginning of the school year, Burbio, a school data aggregator, reported no in-person schooling disruptions in Rhode Island.[5][6]
  • Aug. 19, 2021: Gov. Dan McKee (D) issued an executive order requiring masks be worn in K-12 public schools.[7]


2020-2021 school year

  • June 29, 2021: At the end of the school year, Burbio reported most schools were in-person in Rhode Island .[8][9]
  • January 15, 2021: Public schools were allowed to reopen on a staggered schedule between Jan. 7 and Jan. 15. After reopening, districts and schools were allowed to make their own decisions on openings and closures, but the state encouraged in-person learning schedules.[10]
  • September 14, 2020: In-person K-12 classes were allowed to resume statewide. Cumberland and Warwick school districts were starting the school year fully remotely. Most school districts resumed with a hybrid schedule.[11]
  • Sept. 10, 2020: At the beginning of the school year, Burbio reported about half of schools were in-person in Rhode Island .[12][13]
  • August 31, 2020: Gov. Gina Raimondo (D) announced every public school district in the state except Providence and Central Falls would be permitted to resume in-person instruction when schools reopened for the 2020-2021 academic year. Raimondo said in-person classes were still scheduled to start Sept. 14. Raimondo also signed an executive order extending Phase III of the state’s reopening plan.[14]
  • August 24, 2020: Raimondo announced the Facilities Readiness Team would inspect every public school in the state to ensure compliance with Department of Health guidelines before reopening. Public schools statewide were set to reopen on Sept. 9 for teachers and Sept. 14 for students.[15]
  • August 12, 2020: Raimondo announced she was delaying the start of the school year until Sept. 14. She previously said she wanted schools to reopen at the end of August.[16]
  • June 19, 2020: The Rhode Island Department of Education released health and safety guidelines for reopening elementary and secondary schools.[17]


2019-2020 school year

  • April 23, 2020: Island Gov. Gina Raimondo (D) 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.[18]
  • March 30, 2020: Raimondo announced that the statewide school closure, initially scheduled to end April 3, was extended through April 30.[19]
  • March 13, 2020: Raimondo ordered all public schools in the state to close. She said that the spring break planned for April would be rescheduled to the week of March 16. The Department of Education later closed all schools through April 3.[20][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: August 6, 2020

Rhode Island released an initial operating plan for the 2020-2021 school year on June 19, 2020. An analysis of this plan appeared in our Documenting America's Path to Recovery newsletter on August 6. The sections below include an analysis of the plan, the details of the plan, and reactions from officials to the plan.

On June 19, Gov. Gina Raimondo (D) and Rhode Island Department of Education Commissioner Angelica Infante-Green released Back to School RI, the state’s guidance for reopening schools. It includes a blend of recommendations and requirements. The Rhode Island Department of Education required schools to submit reopening plans that take account of four different scenarios ranging from full in-person learning to full distance learning by July 17.

Gov. Raimondo, Commissioner Infante-Green, and Department of Health Director Nicole Alexander said in a joint statement on July 17, “Every step of the way, our state’s response to COVID-19 has been driven by science. We have rejected the false choice of an all-or-nothing approach and taken targeted, data-driven steps to keep Rhode Islanders safe. As we look toward reopening schools, we will continue to put public health first and to rely on facts and science in making the best decisions for the mental, physical, and intellectual needs of our students.”

Raimondo is expected to make a final announcement about when schools can reopen the week of Aug. 16. Previously, Raimondo said all schools would begin the year on Aug. 31.

According to EdWeek, public schools in Rhode Island typically start the academic year in late August or early September. On Aug. 5, Raimondo announced schools in any city or town with more than 100 positive cases per 100,000 residents will be prohibited from fully returning students to classrooms for in-person instruction.

Raimondo first ordered schools to close on March 13. She extended that closure on March 30 and announced schools would not reopen to in-person instruction for the remainder of the academic year on April 23.

Context

Rhode Island has a Democratic trifecta. The governor is a Democrat, and Democrats have majorities in both chambers of the state legislature. The state became a Democratic trifecta in 2013.

The following tables show public education statistics in Rhode Island, 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.

Rhode Island school metrics
Category Figure Rank
Per pupil spending (16-17) $11,531 36
Number of students (18-19) 138,444 45
Number of teachers (Fall 2016) 9,777 45
Number of public schools (18-19) 702 41
Student:teacher ratio (18-19) 37.9% 34
Percent qualifying for free/reduced lunch (16-17) 58.10% 42


Rhode Island school revenue
Category Figure Rank
Total revenue $1,254,995,000 43
Federal revenue percent 8.1% 32
State revenue percent 40.5% 39
Local revenue percent 51.3% 14

Details

District reopening plans

The Rhode Island Department of Education requires all schools to submit reopening plans based on Back to School RI.

“

In recognition of the uncertainty, the State is requiring all schools to prepare for different scenarios, in accordance with the guidelines established below. RIDE and RIDOH will continue to update this document, and others, as more public health information and guidance become available.

Public schools will be required to submit their plans to RIDE by July 17, and RIDE will give feedback given to each school on an ongoing basis through July 28. Each Local Educational Agency (LEA) will be required to make its plan available to families and post it on their schools’ website no later than July 31.

While this document is written for public LEAs, private schools are also required to complete school reopening plans that are in alignment with the provided guidance and template documents to ensure the health and safety of their school community. While private schools are not required to submit their plans to RIDE, they should be able to produce plans upon request by RIDOH if a positive case or outbreak occurs. Each private school is required to have its plan available on its website by July 31.[29]

”

In-person, hybrid, and online learning The plan asks schools to develop reopening plans for three different scenarios: limited in-person learning, partial in-person learning, and full in-person. Back to School RI covers a third scenario—full distance learning for all—but schools are not required to include that scenario in the plans they submit to the Rhode Island Department of Education.

Back to School RI includes general guidance for how the three in-person scenarios incorporate distance learning:

“
  • Full In-person: Students who are unable to attend in-person classes must be provided with distance learning. LEA plans should address how distance learning will be utilized for classes, groups of students, or individual students who are home sick, due to quarantine, or other reasons.
  • Partial In-person: Some students attend classes in person while others participate in distance learning. LEA plans should address how distance learning will be utilized for classes, groups of students, or individual students who are home sick, due to quarantine or other reasons.
  • Limited In-person: Many students participate in distance learning classes. LEA plans should address how distance learning will be utilized for classes, groups of students, or individual students who are home sick, due to quarantine, or other reasons.[29]
 ”

Mask requirements

According to a Back to School RI FAQ posted on the Rhode Island Department of Education website, masks are required for all students, even when social distancing is possible. A previous version of Back to School RI did not require face masks in situations that allowed for social distancing.

“

Face coverings play a critical role in mitigating risk related to COVID-19. As of 7/29/2020, the Governor, Commissioner, and RIDOH have decided that face coverings are required for staff and students in the K-12 setting, even when students are in stable groups and socially distanced (6+ feet apart). Schools may want to refer to the CDC guidance for wearing face coverings. Schools should acquire additional face coverings for students and/or staff who may forget them or not have their own. Additionally, when necessary and if available, teachers may use clear face coverings to improve communication, but face shields do not replace the need to wear a face covering. Any visitor must also wear face coverings. Children should be provided with the opportunity for mask breaks when it is safe to do so.[29]

”

In-person health recommendations and requirements

Back to School RI includes guidance on class and group size limits and classroom layouts for high school students and students in elementary and middle schools under the three scenarios outlined above:

  • Full In-person Reopening Scenario
“
    • Elementary and Middle Schools: These students will be required to maintain stable groups of up to 30 (analogous to the pod method for summer camp and childcare). This capacity includes both students and staff. Stable groups help to mitigate the risk of spreading the virus. It is still expected that individuals within stable groups maintain as much physical distance as possible. Stable groups are designed to spend all or most of the day together as a group. Each class/pod will be expected to physically distance (14 feet) from every other class/pod.
    • High Schools: Recognizing that it is more difficult to establish and maintain stable groups in a high school schedule, more than one approach is possible. Stable groups are recommended and should be maintained whenever possible (i.e., students should stay in the same classroom and teachers should rotate rooms whenever possible). If stable groups are not possible, high school students must maintain six feet of physical distance and require the wearing of face masks if maintaining six feet of distance is not possible.[29]
 ”
  • Partial In-person Reopening Scenario
“
    • Elementary and Middle Schools: These students will be required to maintain stable groups of up to 30 (analogous to the pod method for summer camp and childcare). This capacity includes both students and staff. Stable groups help to mitigate the risk of spreading the virus. It is still expected that individuals within stable groups maintain as much physical distance as possible. Stable groups are designed to spend all or most of the day together as a group. Each class/pod will be expected to physically distance (14 feet) from every other class/pod
    • High Schools: High Schools can select which of the following requirements they will follow:
      • Stable groups (up to 30 people) should be maintained whenever possible (i.e., student groups should stay the same and teachers rotate whenever possible); or,
      • If not able to maintain stable groups, approximately 50% of the students in a high school can be present in person at any one time.[29]
 ”
  • Limited In-person Reopening Scenario
“
    • Elementary and Middle Schools: These students will be required to maintain stable groups of 15 or fewer in classrooms. Stable groups help to mitigate the risk of spreading the virus. It is still expected that individuals within stable groups maintain as much physical distance as possible. Each class/pod will be expected to physically distance (14 feet) from every other class/pod.
    • High Schools: High Schools can pick which of the following two requirements they follow: o Smaller stable groups (maximum of 15) should be maintained whenever possible (i.e., student groups should stay the same and teachers rotate whenever possible); o If not able to maintain stable groups, approximately 25% of the students in a high school can be in person at any one time.[29]
 ”

Guidance for classroom layouts and the use of school spaces include the following:

“
  • General Spacing and Movement: Stable groups must occupy consistent space as much as possible. This means each stable group uses the same classroom every day, the same entrance every day (if possible), the same hallways, bathrooms, and other areas of the school building. When shared space is used by multiple stable groups or by high school students who are not in stable groups, disinfecting must occur in between the times when stable groups or groups of high school students use the space. Equipment and materials in shared spaces and in classrooms should not change from one student to another. Whenever possible, shared objects should be limited to sharing within that stable group.[29]
 ”

The plan requires schools in the partial and limited in-person reopening scenarios to use assigned seating in each classroom. The plan recommends that assigned seating be used even under the full in-person scenario. The plan also requires students to face the same direction as much as possible.

The plan requires the following for hallways:

“
  • Hallways: During reopening in the fall, outlining a plan for hallway use and minimizing congestion will be an important step in the planning process. LEA plans must include strategies such as staggered passing times or one-way traffic in hallways. Plans must include how lockers may be used, with the strong recommendation of having students carry backpacks instead of using lockers[29]
 ”

Transportation and busing requirements and restrictions

Back to School RI includes guidance on busing and student transportation under the three scenarios outlined above:

Some of the recommendations and requirements under the full in-person reopening scenario include:

“
  • All students on buses are required to wear masks (with the exception of children younger than age two and anyone who has trouble breathing or is unconscious, incapacitated or otherwise unable to remove the mask without assistance).
  • Students using the bus are scheduled as a stable group, and the bus group is considered its own stable group
  • Hand sanitizer must be available and used when entering and exiting the bus.
  • Students are screened when getting on the bus and are seated to physically distance as much as possible.
  • All students have assigned seats on the bus and ride the same bus to and from school.
  • Students must sit one per seat, unless students are from the same household. Siblings and students from the same household should sit together.[29]
 ”

The requirements are the same under the partial in-person reopening scenario, except that the overall capacity of the bus is reduced to 50%. Capacity is further reduced under the limited in-person reopening scenario to include one student person seat, using every other seat.

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. ↑ 3.0 3.1 NECN, "Rhode Island Gov. McKee Lifting Mask Mandate, Vaccination Requirements," February 9, 2022
  4. ↑ NECN, "Rhode Island Governor Extends Pandemic Executive Orders," December 13, 2021
  5. ↑ To read more about Burbio's school disruption tracking, click here
  6. ↑ Burbio, "Burbio's K-12 School Opening Tracker," accessed August 27, 2021
  7. ↑ Rhode Island Office of the Governor, "EXECUTIVE ORDER 21-87," August 19, 2021
  8. ↑ Burbio rated Rhode Island's in-person index at 80.8. 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. 8, 2021
  10. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named RI115
  11. ↑ MSN, "Distance learning isn’t going away in Rhode Island," September 15, 2020
  12. ↑ Burbio rated Rhode Island's in-person index between 40-60. To read more about Burbio's school opening tracker, click here. To read more about Burbio's methodology, click here.
  13. ↑ Burbio, "Burbio's K-12 School Opening Tracker," accessed Oct. 8, 2021
  14. ↑ NECN, "Most RI Schools Get Green Light for Reopening in-Person," August 31, 2020
  15. ↑ Westport News, "Rhode Island to inspect every school before reopening," August 24, 2020
  16. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named RI812
  17. ↑ Rhode Island Department of Education, "Back to School RI: Health and Safety Guidance to Reopen Rhode Island’s Elementary and Secondary Schools," June 19, 2020
  18. ↑ The Boston Globe, "R.I. will keep school buildings closed and continue distance learning for the rest of the academic year," April 23, 2020
  19. ↑ WPRI, "RI schools to stay closed through April; big spike in COVID-19 cases, 4th death," March 30, 2020
  20. ↑ WPRI, "RI public schools closed next week; 9 new coronavirus cases identified," March 13, 2020
  21. ↑ Rhode Island Department of Education, "Home page," accessed March 25, 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.
  29. ↑ 29.0 29.1 29.2 29.3 29.4 29.5 29.6 29.7 29.8 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
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