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School responses in Virginia 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 Virginia 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 Virginia 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 1, 2022: A law banning school mask requirements in Virginia took effect. Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R) signed the bill into law on Feb. 16.[3]
  • Feb. 16, 2022: Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R) signed a bill into law that would ban school systems from enacting mask requirements. The bill was set to take effect March 1.[3]
  • Feb. 4, 2022: Arlington Circuit Court Judge Louise DiMatteo suspended the statewide school mask requirement ban.[4]
  • Jan. 15, 2022: Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R) issued an executive order rescinding the state's school mask requirement and banning school mask requirements that do not allow for parents to opt out.[5]
  • Sept. 9, 2021: At the beginning of the school year, Burbio, a school data aggregator, reported twenty-three in-person schooling disruptions in Virginia.[6][7]
  • July 21, 2021: The Virginia Department of Health and Education released guidance for the 2021-2022 school year. The K-12 mask mandate, which applied to both public and private schools, expired July 25, at which point local districts would decide their own mask policies. The guidance said schools should require elementary students to wear masks, but that middle and high schools should only require masks for unvaccinated students.[8]


2020-2021 school year

  • June 29, 2021: At the end of the school year, Burbio reported a majority of schools were in-person in Virginia .[9][10]
  • Sept. 10, 2020: At the beginning of the school year, Burbio reported most schools were using virtual or hybrid learning in Virginia .[11][12]
  • June 9, 2020: Gov. Ralph Northam (D) announced that schools would reopen to in-person instruction for the 2020-2021 school year. The state released guidance for a three-phase reopening. Phase One had remote learning as the dominant teaching strategy, while Phase Two allowed in-person instruction for preschool through third grade, and Phase Three allowed in-person instruction for all students.[13]


2019-2020 school year

  • March 23, 2020: Northam announced that all schools statewide would be closed for the rest of the school year. Schools were previously scheduled to close through March 27.[14]
  • March 13, 2020: Northam ordered all K-12 schools in the state to close for at least two weeks, effective March 16.[15]

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[16]
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[17]
Iowa Ban Legislative action May 16, 2022 - Reinstated by court action[18]
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[19]
Maryland Requirement Maryland State Board of Education order March 1, 2022 - Lifted by executive action[20]
Massachusetts Requirement Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education order Feb. 28, 2022 - Lifted by executive action[21]
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[22]
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 13, 2020

Virginia released an initial operating plan for the 2020-2021 school year on July 6, 2020. An analysis of this plan appeared in our Documenting America's Path to Recovery newsletter on August 13. The sections below include an analysis of the plan, the details of the plan, and reactions from officials to the plan.

The Virginia Department of Education most recently updated its school reopening guidance on July 6. When the guidance was first introduced in June, Gov. Ralph Northam (D) said, “Resuming in-person instruction is a high priority, but we must do so in a safe, responsible, and equitable manner that minimizes the risk of exposure to the virus and meets the needs of the Virginia students who have been disproportionately impacted by lost classroom time.”

Secretary of Education Atif Qarni said a phased opening of schools was designed with social and emotional wellbeing in mind. Qarni said, “These plans are informed by a range of perspectives and will help ensure that we prioritize the social emotional well-being of all of our students, their families, and educators as we go back to school this summer and fall.”

Virginia does not have a statewide date for public schools to reopen. Each district will decide when and with what form of instruction to reopen schools. According to EdWeek, public schools in Virginia start the academic year no earlier than 14 days before Labor Day.

On March 14, Northam ordered all K-12 schools in the state to close for at least two weeks, effective March 16. On March 23, he announced that all schools would be closed for the rest of the school year.

Context

Virginia is 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 2020.

The following tables show public education statistics in Virginia, 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.

Virginia school metrics
Category Figure Rank
Per pupil spending (16-17) $13,052 25
Number of students (18-19) 1,289,367 12
Number of teachers (Fall 2016) 91,628 11
Number of public schools (18-19) 2,122 17
Student:teacher ratio (18-19) 14.8 26
Percent qualifying for free/reduced lunch (16-17) 41.2% 38


Virginia school revenue
Category Figure Rank
Total revenue $15,624,013,000 12
Federal revenue percent 6.5% 41
State revenue percent 39.9% 40
Local revenue percent 53.6% 12

Details

District reopening plans

On June 6, Northam introduced a phased guide to reopening public schools in Virginia. Phase One uses distance learning as the mode of education, with limited access to school facilities for students with disabilities. Phase Two allows for limited in-person instruction, especially for grades K-3. Phase Three allows for in-person instruction with social distancing and health and safety precautions taken. When he announced the phased plan, Northam said that most schools could reopen in Phase Two.

The Recover, Redesign, Restart plan was revised on July 8 to include further instructions for Phase Three of reopening. In the revision, the state recommends practices and procedures for reopening schools but leaves the specific plans for reopening to individual school districts.

According to the Virginia Department of Education, at least 15 days before instruction begins, “Public school divisions are required to submit a plan for providing new instruction to all students in the 2020-2021 academic year, regardless of phase or the operational status of the school at the time. This plan must also include strategies to address learning lost due to spring 2020 school closures. This should include a plan for fully remote instruction should public health conditions require it.” Districts are also recommended to post their plans on their websites for public viewing.

In-person, hybrid, and online learning

According to state guidance, schools will offer a variety of learning models depending on the plans they submit to the state. All districts must include plans for fully remote learning, but the phased model of reopening requires schools to plan for some level of in-person instruction. The guidance document states, “While the broad parameters of each phase are defined by the state, a great deal of local autonomy exists and school divisions have the flexibility to respond to this guidance within the capacity and resources of the division.”

The state says alternative schedules may be necessary to maintain physical distance and outlines multiple possibilities in its guidelines. The guidelines state, “In order to adhere to the physical distancing requirements, schools will need to consider alternative and innovative schedules for their school buildings. These schedules will need to consider the developmental abilities and academic needs of the students served in each scenario, while maximizing physical distancing of students.”

Mask requirements

During all phases of Virginia’s plan, face coverings are recommended when six-foot physical is not possible. Face coverings are not required in any phase.

In-person health recommendations and requirements

Social distancing is required in all phases of the state reopening plan. In Phase Three, the most advanced phase of the plan, all individuals are required to be at least three feet apart. Each phase also accounts for increased occupancy of spaces like auditoriums, playgrounds, and cafeterias. Phase One allows 10 people in a space, Phase Two allows 50, and Phase Three allows 250. All phases require that space allows for six feet of distance.

The state guidelines recommend daily health screenings for all students, faculty, and staff, and that any person who does not pass the health screening stay home. Those experiencing symptoms of COVID-19 are encouraged to isolate, and those who experience symptoms in school are required to isolate.

According to the Virginia Department of Education:

“

If there is a confirmed case of COVID 19 in a school, the local health department will work closely with school administrators to determine a course of action for their schools. Schools should follow the CDC Interim Guidance for K-12 for schools and use the School Decision Tree to determine school closing in collaboration with the local health department.[23]

”

Transportation and busing requirements and restrictions

During Phase One, bus capacity is limited to 10 students per bus. During later phases, bus capacity is recommended to be at an amount that allows for appropriate physical distancing. Face coverings are recommended but not required.

Responses

According to Richmond Magazine, the organization Virginia Educators United launched a petition in July, suggesting the state “keep classrooms closed until infections trend downward for at least 24 days and until preventive measures such as proper classroom ventilation, cleaning supplies and personal protective equipment are fully funded by the state.”

Former Virginia Gov. Douglas Wilder (D), now a professor of public policy at Virginia Commonwealth University, told the Virginia Mercury he disagreed with Northam’s decision to allow individual districts to determine their reopening plans, saying, “I would not have done it that way. There need to be comprehensive, almost uniform requirements across the state. The plan cannot be helter-skelter.”

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 Associated Press, "Virginia adopts plan to end school mask mandates March 1," February 16, 2022
  4. ↑ Associated Press, "Judge halts VA governor’s opt-out school mask order, for now," February 4, 2022
  5. ↑ ABC News, "New Virginia governor signs executive order to end mask mandate in schools," January 17, 2022
  6. ↑ To read more about Burbio's school disruption tracking, click here
  7. ↑ Burbio, "Burbio's K-12 School Opening Tracker," accessed August 27, 2021
  8. ↑ WSET, "Virginia's school mask mandate lifted; districts will decide own guidelines," July 21, 2021
  9. ↑ Burbio rated Virginia's in-person index at 69.9. To read more about Burbio's school opening tracker, click here. To read more about Burbio's methodology, click here.
  10. ↑ Burbio, "Burbio's K-12 School Opening Tracker," accessed Oct. 8, 2021
  11. ↑ Burbio rated Virginia's 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.
  12. ↑ Burbio, "Burbio's K-12 School Opening Tracker," accessed Oct. 8, 2021
  13. ↑ CNN, "Virginia governor announces state plans for reopening schools in the fall," June 9, 2020
  14. ↑ Danville Register and Bee, " Northam orders Virginia schools closed for rest of the school year, outlines new rules for businesses," March 23, 2020
  15. ↑ Governor of Virginia, "Governor Northam Orders All Virginia K-12 Schools Closed for Minimum of Two Weeks," March 13, 2020
  16. ↑ On Sept. 2, 2021 the ban was temporarily suspended by court action. An appeals court upheld the ban on Sept. 10.
  17. ↑ Gov. J.B. Pritzker (D) ended the statewide school mask requirement on Feb. 28, 2022.
  18. ↑ On Sept. 13, 2021 the ban was temporarily suspended by court action for all schools. On Jan. 25, 2022, the ban was partially reinstated.
  19. ↑ Oct. 26, 2021 - School districts could be exempt from the school mask requirement if they followed CDC quarantine guidance
  20. ↑ 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.
  21. ↑ Oct. 1 - Schools could become exempt from the school mask requirement when at least 80% of students were vaccinated
  22. ↑ On Nov. 10, 2021 the ban was suspended by court action. An appeals court upheld the ban on Dec. 1.
  23. ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
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