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School responses in Wisconsin to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic
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 Wisconsin schools in the academic years ending in 2020, 2021, and 2022. You will find:
- A timeline of events by school year
- A nationwide summary of school mask and vaccine requirements in the 2021-2022 school year
- A summary of school reopening statuses in the 2020-2021 academic year
- A summary of school reopening statuses in the 2019-2020 academic year
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 Wisconsin 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 two in-person schooling disruptions in Wisconsin.[3][4]
2020-2021 school year
- June 29, 2021: At the end of the school year, Burbio reported most schools were in-person in Wisconsin.[5][6]
- Sept. 10, 2020: At the beginning of the school year, Burbio reported a majority of schools were using virtual or hybrid learning in Wisconsin.[7][8]
- June 22, 2020: The Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction released reopening guidance for schools. Superintendent Carolyn Stanford Taylor said that schools would reopen to in-person instruction for the fall. The guidance outlined several scenarios for physical distancing, including four-day school weeks, a two-day rotation, an a/b week rotation, and virtual learning.[9]
2019-2020 school year
- April 16, 2020: Gov. Tony Evers (D) closed schools for the remainder of the academic year. Prior to the announcement, schools were closed through April 23.[10]
- March 24, 2020: Evers announced that schools would remain closed through April 23.[11]
- March 17, 2020: Evers announced that the statewide school closure, initially scheduled to end April 5, would last indefinitely.[12]
- March 13, 2020: Evers closed all K-12 schools across the state from March 18 through April 5.[13]
Mask and vaccine requirements in the 2021-2022 school year
Mask requirements in schools
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[14] |
| 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[15] |
| Iowa | Ban | Legislative action | May 16, 2022 - Reinstated by court action[16] |
| 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[17] |
| Maryland | Requirement | Maryland State Board of Education order | March 1, 2022 - Lifted by executive action[18] |
| Massachusetts | Requirement | Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education order | Feb. 28, 2022 - Lifted by executive action[19] |
| 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[20] |
| 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
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
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)
Initial school year operating plan
Wisconsin released an initial operating plan for the 2020-2021 school year on June 22, 2020. An analysis of this plan appeared in our Documenting America's Path to Recovery newsletter on August 17, 2020. The sections below include an analysis of the plan, the details of the plan, and reactions from officials to the plan.
The Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction released Education Forward, its guidance document for school reopening, on June 22. State Superintendent Carolyn Stanford Taylor said, “The next school year will be likely be [sic] different from the learning environment students and teachers have grown accustomed to. Education Forward is meant to provide information for educators and school officials as they make decisions regarding their school operations to keep all students and staff safe while learning.”
On July 7, Gov.Tony Evers (D) said the state’s plan allows local districts to make reopening decisions they feel are right for their communities. He told The Capital Times, “It’s important for school districts and parents and kids to be prepared but at the end of the day, I would not consider a district who offers a hybrid where it’s partially in school, partially online to be failing in their responsibilities. They have to make that decision locally.”
Wisconsin does not have a statewide date for public schools to reopen—individual districts that meet the state’s requirements can set their own timelines. According to EdWeek, public schools in Wisconsin typically start the academic year on September 1 or later, with the exact start date varying by district.
On March 13, Evers closed all K-12 schools across the state from March 18 through April 5. He extended the closure indefinitely on March 17 before closing them for the remainder of the year on April 16.
Context
Wisconsin has a divided government. The governor is a Democrat, and Republicans have majorities in both chambers of the state legislature. The state has had a divided government since 2019.
The following tables show public education statistics in Wisconsin, 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.
| Wisconsin school metrics | ||
|---|---|---|
| Category | Figure | Rank |
| Per pupil spending (16-17) | $13,739 | 22 |
| Number of students (18-19) | 859,3299 | 22 |
| Number of teachers (Fall 2016) | 59,011 | 18 |
| Number of public schools (18-19) | 2,274 | 16 |
| Student:teacher ratio (18-19) | 14.5 | 30 |
| Percent qualifying for free/reduced lunch (16-17) | 37.4% | 46 |
| Wisconsin school revenue | ||
|---|---|---|
| Category | Figure | Rank |
| Total revenue | $11,197,990,000 | 19 |
| Federal revenue percent | 7.5% | 35 |
| State revenue percent | 45.9% | 27 |
| Local revenue percent | 46.6% | 20 |
Details
District reopening plans
The Education Forward guidance document is not binding on local districts, which are responsible for developing their own specific reopening plans.
In-person, hybrid, and online learning
The guidance document outlines all-remote, physically distanced (hybrid), and full-time in-person learning options for localities to consider. School districts are allowed to determine and implement the best learning model for their community’s needs. In-person learning, according to the plan, is defined as a situation where “the vast majority of students attend in-person. Some students (those with health concerns) may participate virtually on an as-needed basis.” In the physically distanced learning model, “learning occurs both in-person and virtually, utilizing classrooms, outdoor learning spaces, homes, and community-based organizations.” The virtual learning option allows education to take place completely remotely “using digital, analog, synchronous, asynchronous, or hybrid instructional models.”
Mask requirements
The plan recommends teachers, staff, and students wear masks whenever feasible—face coverings are not required.
In-person health recommendations and requirements
For in-person learning, the guidance document recommends physical distancing of six feet or more. The document also recommends schools implement daily health screenings and temperature checks. To reduce traffic and keep students physically distanced, the guidelines recommend modifications to collective lunch times (staggering lunch times, choosing alternative spaces to eat, or implementing a lunch delivery to classrooms). The plan also recommends districts and schools stagger recess, arrival, and departure times. The document recommends schools adopt their own policies and procedures to comply with local social distancing ordinances.
The document says schools are responsible for informing local public health officials when students or faculty test positive for or exhibit symptoms of the coronavirus.
Transportation and busing requirements and restrictions
The guidance document does not offer specific recommendations for transportation and busing. It does say districts should “collaborate with transportation vendors to implement a busing plan meeting social distancing requirements, if necessary. Include a plan for pick-up, in-transit, drop off, and cleaning and disinfection protocols.”
Responses
The Wisconsin Education Association Council said local teachers should be involved in school and district decision-making. On Aug. 1, WEAC President Ron Martin said, “WEAC believes any plan for reopening schools must ensure the health and safety of our students and staff and also prioritize long-term strategies on student learning and educational equity. We must have the time and resources to reopen safely… but that requires funding. WEAC restates our stance that all decisions must be guided by science. We want nothing more than to be back at school with our students, but we can only be there safely when the Badger Bounce Back benchmarks are met.”
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)
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:
- Alabama
- Alaska
- Arizona
- Arkansas
- California
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- Florida
- Georgia
- Hawaii
- Idaho
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
- Maine
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Mississippi
- Missouri
- Montana
- Nebraska
- Nevada
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New Mexico
- New York
- North Carolina
- North Dakota
- Ohio
- Oklahoma
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
- South Carolina
- South Dakota
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Utah
- Vermont
- Virginia
- Washington
- West Virginia
- Wisconsin
- Wyoming
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.
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), U.S. Department of Health & Human Services
- National Institutes of Health, U.S. Department of Health & Human Services
- Occupational Safety and Health Administration, U.S. Department of Labor
- U.S. Department of Education
- World Health Organization
- Trends in Number of COVID-19 Cases and Deaths in the US Reported to CDC, by State/Territory
- Coronavirus (COVID-19) Vaccinations, Our World in Data (Number of vaccines administered)
- Coronavirus Vaccine Tracker, New York Times (Progress of vaccine trials)
See also
- Documenting America's Path to Recovery
- School responses to the coronavirus pandemic by state (2021-2022 academic year)
- School responses to the coronavirus pandemic by state (2020-2021 academic year)
- Wisconsin’s responses to the coronavirus pandemic
- COVID-19 vaccine distribution by state
- Travel restrictions by state
- Federal government responses to the coronavirus pandemic
Footnotes
- ↑ 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
- ↑ EducationWeek, "Map: Where Were Schools Required to Be Open for the 2020-21 School Year?," June 14, 2021
- ↑ To read more about Burbio's school disruption tracking, click here
- ↑ Burbio, "Burbio's K-12 School Opening Tracker," accessed August 27, 2021
- ↑ Burbio rated Wisconsin's in-person index at 88.9. To read more about Burbio's school opening tracker, click here. To read more about Burbio's methodology, click here.
- ↑ Burbio, "Burbio's K-12 School Opening Tracker," accessed Oct. 8, 2021
- ↑ Burbio rated Wisconsin'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.
- ↑ Burbio, "Burbio's K-12 School Opening Tracker," accessed Oct. 8, 2021
- ↑ FOX6, "Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction releases guidelines for reopening schools this fall," June 22, 2020
- ↑ WBAY, "Wisconsin governor extends Safer at Home order; schools closed for rest of year," April 16, 2020
- ↑ The Cap Times, "New state order extends school closures until at least April 24," March 24, 2020
- ↑ Channel 3000, "Evers orders schools closed indefinitely," March 17, 2020
- ↑ Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "All Wisconsin public and private schools closing under state order, affecting more than a million children," March 14, 2020
- ↑ On Sept. 2, 2021 the ban was temporarily suspended by court action. An appeals court upheld the ban on Sept. 10.
- ↑ Gov. J.B. Pritzker (D) ended the statewide school mask requirement on Feb. 28, 2022.
- ↑ On Sept. 13, 2021 the ban was temporarily suspended by court action for all schools. On Jan. 25, 2022, the ban was partially reinstated.
- ↑ Oct. 26, 2021 - School districts could be exempt from the school mask requirement if they followed CDC quarantine guidance
- ↑ 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.
- ↑ Oct. 1 - Schools could become exempt from the school mask requirement when at least 80% of students were vaccinated
- ↑ On Nov. 10, 2021 the ban was suspended by court action. An appeals court upheld the ban on Dec. 1.
