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State education budget news for the 2020-2021 academic year related to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic

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Responses by state

This article was last updated on August 7, 2020, and no longer receives regular updates. It is preserved here for archival purposes.

All 50 states closed schools to in-person instruction at some point during the 2019-2020 academic year as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. Before the reopening of schools for the 2020-2021 school year, state legislators and education officials enacted changes to state budgets as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. This page covers those budget changes and the conversations surrounding them.

A report released by the School Superintendents Association in June 2020 estimated that following the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines would cost the average school district $1.8 million. Executive director Daniel Domenech said that the cost escalation for large urban school districts would make it impossible to adhere to CDC guidelines. U.S. News & World Report reported that state budget cuts would reduce school funding between 10% and 35% for the 2021-2022 school year.[1]

In this article, you will find:

Status of school reopenings, closures, and responses

Ballotpedia considered schools to be fully open if they used a traditional, in-person learning schedule where all students had the option to attend classes five days per week. Schools that were partially open offered some in-person classes but did not offer daily in-person classes for all students or grades. Schools were closed if they only offered virtual instruction.

Ballotpedia tracked state-level orders related to school openings and closures, but most states left reopening decisions to local health officials, schools, school boards, and districts. Click here to see Burbio's 50-state map tracking the percentage of in-person instruction at the county level.

The statewide statuses in the map below are categorized in the following manner:

  • State-ordered partial closure - A state had regional school closures, required certain grade levels to close, or allowed hybrid instruction only.
  • Varies by school/district - Districts, individual schools, or other local authorities could choose to reopen schools based on state-provided guidance.
  • State-ordered in-person instruction for some grades - Schools statewide were required to offer in-person instruction (either full- or part-time) to students in certain grades.
  • State-ordered in-person instruction - Schools statewide were required to open (either full- or part-time) to in-person instruction.

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 budget changes before the 2020-2021 school year

Alabama

Schools in Alabama were closed to in-person instruction on March 18, 2020, and remained closed for the remainder of the 2019-2020 academic year.

  • July 31, 2020: Gov. Kay Ivey (R) announced that the state would provide $100 million in vouchers for families of students eligible for free and reduce-priced school meals. The vouchers helped cover equipment and service costs for high-speed internet service from the fall through December 30, 2020.[2]

Alaska

Schools in Alaska were closed to in-person instruction on March 16, 2020, and remained closed for the remainder of the 2019-2020 academic year.

Arizona

Schools in Arizona were closed to in-person instruction on March 15, 2020, and remained closed for the remainder of the 2019-2020 academic year.

  • June 24, 2020: Gov. Doug Ducey (R) announced that state schools would receive $270 million in federal relief funding, guaranteeing that schools would receive 98 percent of the aid from the state they received last year.[3]

Arkansas

Schools in Arkansas were closed to in-person instruction on March 17, 2020, and remained closed for the remainder of the 2019-2020 academic year.

California

Schools in California were closed to in-person instruction on March 19, 2020, and remained closed for the remainder of the 2019-2020 academic year.

  • June 22, 2020: Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) announced that he and state legislators had reached a budget deal that would avoid school budget cuts and staff layoffs.[4]

Colorado

Schools in Colorado were closed to in-person instruction on March 23, 2020, and remained closed for the remainder of the 2019-2020 academic year.

  • June 22, 2020: Gov. Jared Polis (D) signed the state budget, which cut more than $500 million in funding to schools from the previous year's budget.[5]
  • June 15, 2020: Polis announced that he was giving $510 million in federal coronavirus relief money to K-12 schools in the state.[6]

Connecticut

Schools in Connecticut were closed to in-person instruction on March 16, 2020, and remained closed for the remainder of the 2019-2020 academic year.

  • August 6, 2020: Gov. Ned Lamont (D) announced that the state was providing an additional $160 million in funding to schools to help with reopening for the 2020-2021 school year.[7]

Delaware

Schools in Delaware were closed to in-person instruction on March 16, 2020, and remained closed for the remainder of the 2019-2020 academic year.

Florida

Schools in Florida were closed to in-person instruction on March 16, 2020, and remained closed for the remainder of the 2019-2020 academic year.

  • June 15, 2020: Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) announced that the state would use $1 billion in federal funding from CARES Act to help schools reopen in August 2020. Schools would have 12 options for spending the money, including buying cleaning supplies and using them for mental health services.[8]

Georgia

Schools in Georgia were closed to in-person instruction on March 18, 2020, and remained closed for the remainder of the 2019-2020 academic year.

  • June 30, 2020: The Georgia Department of Education announced $950 million in funding cuts for the 2020-2021 school year.[9]
  • June 17, 2020: The Senate Appropriations Committee passed an amended budget that eliminated $1 billion in funding for K-12 schools.[10]

Hawaii

Schools in Hawaii were closed to in-person instruction on March 16, 2020, and remained closed for the remainder of the 2019-2020 academic year.

Idaho

Schools in Idaho were closed to in-person instruction on March 24, 2020, and remained closed for the remainder of the 2019-2020 academic year.

Illinois

Schools in Illinois were closed to in-person instruction on March 13, 2020, and remained closed for the remainder of the 2019-2020 academic year.

Indiana

Schools in Indiana were closed to in-person instruction on March 19, 2020, and remained closed for the remainder of the 2019-2020 academic year.

  • June 22, 2020: Gov. Eric Holcomb (R) announced that schools could apply for funding to improve their remote learning capabilities through a $61.6 million grant program.[11]
  • June 11, 2020: State Rep. Jim Banks (R-03) proposed a bill to prohibit schools from receiving funding in the 2020 fiscal year unless they reopened to students by September 8. The legislation said that the Secretary of Education could create a waiver process for schools.[12]

Iowa

Schools in Iowa were closed to in-person instruction on March 15, 2020, and remained closed for the remainder of the 2019-2020 academic year.

Kansas

Schools in Kansas were closed to in-person instruction on March 23, 2020, and remained closed for the remainder of the 2019-2020 academic year.

Kentucky

Schools in Kentucky were closed to in-person instruction on March 16, 2020, and remained closed for the remainder of the 2019-2020 academic year.

Louisiana

Schools in Louisiana were closed to in-person instruction on March 13, 2020, and remained closed for the remainder of the 2019-2020 academic year.

Maine

Schools in Maine were closed to in-person instruction on March 18, 2020, and remained closed for the remainder of the 2019-2020 academic year.

Maryland

Schools in Maryland were closed to in-person instruction on March 16, 2020, and remained closed for the remainder of the 2019-2020 academic year.

Massachusetts

Schools in Massachusetts were closed to in-person instruction on March 17, 2020, and remained closed for the remainder of the 2019-2020 academic year.

Michigan

Schools in Michigan were closed to in-person instruction on March 12, 2020, and remained closed for the remainder of the 2019-2020 academic year.

Minnesota

Schools in Minnesota were closed to in-person instruction on March 18, 2020, and remained closed for the remainder of the 2019-2020 academic year.

Mississippi

Schools in Mississippi were closed to in-person instruction on March 16, 2020, and remained closed for the remainder of the 2019-2020 academic year.

Missouri

Schools in Missouri were closed to in-person instruction on March 19, 2020, and remained closed for the remainder of the 2019-2020 academic year.

Montana

Schools in Montana were closed to in-person instruction on March 16, 2020, and were allowed to reopen on May 7.

Nebraska

Schools in Nebraska were closed to in-person instruction on April 1, 2020, and remained closed for the remainder of the 2019-2020 academic year.

Nevada

Schools in Nevada were closed to in-person instruction on March 16, 2020, and remained closed for the remainder of the 2019-2020 academic year.

New Hampshire

Schools in New Hampshire were closed to in-person instruction on March 16, 2020, and remained closed for the remainder of the 2019-2020 academic year.

New Jersey

Schools in New Jersey were closed to in-person instruction on March 18, 2020, and remained closed for the remainder of the 2019-2020 academic year.

New Mexico

Schools in New Mexico were closed to in-person instruction on March 16, 2020, and remained closed for the remainder of the 2019-2020 academic year.

New York

Schools in New York were closed to in-person instruction on March 18, 2020, and remained closed for the remainder of the 2019-2020 academic year.

North Carolina

Schools in North Carolina were closed to in-person instruction on March 14, 2020, and remained closed for the remainder of the 2019-2020 academic year.

North Dakota

Schools in North Dakota were closed to in-person instruction on March 16, 2020, and remained closed for the remainder of the 2019-2020 academic year.

Ohio

Schools in Ohio were closed to in-person instruction on March 16, 2020, and remained closed for the remainder of the 2019-2020 academic year.

Oklahoma

Schools in Oklahoma were closed to in-person instruction on March 17, 2020, and remained closed for the remainder of the 2019-2020 academic year.

Oregon

Schools in Oregon were closed to in-person instruction on March 16, 2020, and remained closed for the remainder of the 2019-2020 academic year.

Pennsylvania

Schools in Pennsylvania were closed to in-person instruction on March 16, 2020, and remained closed for the remainder of the 2019-2020 academic year.

Rhode Island

Schools in Rhode Island were closed to in-person instruction on March 16, 2020, and remained closed for the remainder of the 2019-2020 academic year.

South Carolina

Schools in South Carolina were closed to in-person instruction on March 15, 2020, and remained closed for the remainder of the 2019-2020 academic year.

South Dakota

Schools in South Dakota were closed to in-person instruction on March 17, 2020, and remained closed for the remainder of the 2019-2020 academic year.

Tennessee

Schools in Tennessee were closed to in-person instruction on March 20, 2020, and remained closed for the remainder of the 2019-2020 academic year.

Texas

Schools in Texas were closed to in-person instruction on March 20, 2020, and remained closed for the remainder of the 2019-2020 academic year.

Utah

Schools in Utah were closed to in-person instruction on March 16, 2020, and remained closed for the remainder of the 2019-2020 academic year.

Vermont

Schools in Vermont were closed to in-person instruction on March 18, 2020, and remained closed for the remainder of the 2019-2020 academic year.

Virginia

Schools in Virginia were closed to in-person instruction on March 16, 2020, and remained closed for the remainder of the 2019-2020 academic year.

Washington

Schools in Washington were closed to in-person instruction on March 17, 2020, and remained closed for the remainder of the 2019-2020 academic year.

West Virginia

Schools in West Virginia were closed to in-person instruction on March 13, 2020, and remained closed for the remainder of the 2019-2020 academic year.

Wisconsin

Schools in Wisconsin were closed to in-person instruction on March 18, 2020, and remained closed for the remainder of the 2019-2020 academic year.

Wyoming

Schools in Wyoming were closed to in-person instruction on March 15, 2020, and were allowed to reopen on May 15.

Timeline

Noteworthy events

The timeline below captures state school budget updates and is presented in reverse chronological order.

  • August 6, 2020
    • Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont (D) announced that the state was providing an additional $160 million in funding to schools to help with reopening for the 2020-2021 school year.[7]
  • July 31, 2020
    • Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey (R) announced that the state would provide $100 million in vouchers for families of students eligible for free and reduce-priced school meals. The vouchers helped cover equipment and service costs for high-speed internet service from the fall through December 30, 2020.[2]
  • June 30, 2020
    • The Georgia Department of Education announced $950 million in funding cuts for the 2020-2021 school year.[9]
  • June 24, 2020
    • Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey (R) announced that state schools would receive $270 million in federal relief funding, guaranteeing that schools would receive 98 percent of the aid from the state they received last year.[3]
  • June 22, 2020
    • California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) announced that he and state legislators had reached a budget deal that would avoid school budget cuts and staff layoffs.[4]
    • Colorado Gov. Jared Polis (D) signed the state budget, which cut more than $500 million in funding to schools from the previous year's budget.[5]
    • Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb (R) announced that schools could apply for funding to improve their remote learning capabilities through a $61.6 million grant program.[11]
  • June 17, 2020
    • The Georgia State Senate Appropriations Committee passed an amended budget that eliminated $1 billion in funding for K-12 schools.[10]
  • June 15, 2020
    • Colorado Gov. Jared Polis (D) announced that he was giving $510 million in federal coronavirus relief money to K-12 schools in the state.[6]
    • Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) announced that the state would use $1 billion in federal funding from CARES Act to help schools reopen in August 2020. Schools would have 12 options for spending the money, including buying cleaning supplies and using them for mental health services.[8]
  • June 11, 2020
    • Indiana State Rep. Jim Banks (R-03) proposed a bill to prohibit schools from receiving funding in the 2020 fiscal year unless they reopened to students by September 8. The legislation said that the Secretary of Education could create a waiver process for schools.[12]

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. ↑ U.S. News & World Report, "Report: No Way to Reopen Schools Safely Without Federal Bailout," June 8, 2020
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Governor of Alabama, "Governor Ivey Allocates $100 Million for Alabama Broadband Connectivity for Students," July 31, 2020
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Tucson.com, "Arizona schools to split $270M to help reopen during COVID-19 pandemic," June 24, 2020
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 The Mercury News, "Gov. Newsom: California budget deal avoids teacher layoffs," June 22, 2020
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 KUNC, "‘A Real Crisis:’ Colorado School Districts Tackle Budget Cuts And Lots Of Coronavirus Unknowns," June 23, 2020
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 9 News, "Colorado school districts fear COVID relief money won’t make up for budget cuts," June 15, 2020
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 WTNH, "Gov. Lamont announces additional $160 million COVID-19 relief funding for CT schools reopening in the fall," August 6, 2020
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 The Apopka Voice, "Florida educators: Funding essential to reopen safely," June 15, 2020
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 The Covington News, "Georgia schools budget adopted with $950 million in cuts," July 1, 2020
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 Atlanta Journal-Constitution, "Georgia Senate plan cuts school funding, limits furloughs," June 17, 2020
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 Indiana Business Journal, "Indiana offers public schools $61M in remote learning grants," June 22, 2020
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 WTHR, "Indiana lawmaker proposes bill to strip funding from schools if they don't reopen in-person this fall," June 24, 2020
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