School responses in Michigan 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 Michigan 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 [email protected].


Timeline by school year

Below is a list of major events involving schools in Michigan 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 one in-person schooling disruption in Michigan.[3][4]


2020-2021 school year

  • June 29, 2021: At the end of the school year, Burbio reported most schools were in-person in Michigan .[5][6]
  • December 21, 2020: Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D) allowed public and private high schools to reopen starting Dec. 21.[7]
  • December 7, 2020: On Dec. 7, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D) extended the suspension of in-person instruction at all public and non-public high schools through Dec. 20.[8]
  • November 18, 2020: Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D) announced a three-week ban on in-person high school and college instruction across the state beginning Nov. 18.[9]
  • Sept. 10, 2020: At the beginning of the school year, Burbio reported a majority of schools were using virtual or hybrid learning in Michigan .[10][11]
  • August 20, 2020: Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D) signed an education package consisting of three bills that guided how school districts could reopen for the school year. The bills stipulated that although school districts weren't required to offer in-person education, school boards needed to review their district’s instructional plans each month. Schools that did reopen to in-person instruction needed to prioritize that option for K-12 students. The legislation also weighted per-pupil funding based on 75% of last year’s enrollment and 25% of the current enrollment.[12]
  • June 30, 2020: Whitmer released the "MI Safe Schools Return to School Roadmap," a set of guidelines by which local districts could draft their own reopening plans for the fall. The guidelines, which included both requirements and recommendations, were tiered to the phases of the state's broader reopening plan.[13]
  • June 17, 2020: Whitmer announced that Michigan schools could resume in-person instruction during Phase 4 of the state's reopening (the state entered Phase 4 on June 1). Whitmer said she would issue an executive order June 30 outlining requirements and recommendations for reopening the state's traditional public, charter, private, and parochial schools.[14]


2019-2020 school year

  • April 2, 2020: Whitmer announced that schools statewide would remain closed for the rest of the academic year. Prior to this order, schools were scheduled to reopen April 13.[15]
  • March 23, 2020: Whitmer stay-at-home order meant that the statewide school closure, scheduled to end April 5, was extended to April 13.[16]
  • March 12, 2020: Whitmer closed all schools in the state until April 5.[17]

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 K.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[18]
Georgien Ban Legislative action K.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[19]
Iowa Ban Legislative action May 16, 2022 - Reinstated by court action[20]
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[21]
Maryland Requirement Maryland State Board of Education order March 1, 2022 - Lifted by executive action[22]
Massachusetts Requirement Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education order Feb. 28, 2022 - Lifted by executive action[23]
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 K.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[24]
Utah Ban Legislative action K.A.
Virginia Ban Legislative action K.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 14, 2020

Michigan released an initial operating plan for the 2020-2021 school year on June 30, 2020. An analysis of this plan appeared in our Documenting America's Path to Recovery newsletter on August 14. The sections below include an analysis of the plan, the details of the plan, and reactions from officials to the plan.

On June 30, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D) and the state’s Return to School Advisory Council released the Safe Schools Return to School Roadmap, a list of guidelines for reopening Michigan’s public schools for fall 2020. Whitmer said, “Thanks to our aggressive action against this virus, the teachers who have found creative ways to reach their students, and the heroes on the front lines, I am optimistic that we will return to in-person learning in the fall. The MI SafeSchools Return to School Roadmap will help provide schools with the guidance they need as they enact strict safety measures to continue protecting educators, students, and their families.”

On June 25, the Michigan Education Association (MEA) outlined its priorities for reopening schools in the fall, emphasizing safety, meeting diverse student needs, and increased funding. MEA President Paula Herbart said, “We owe it to our students to do everything in our power to return to school in the fall — but only if we can keep them, their families and the school employees who serve them safe. No one has a crystal ball about how this ongoing pandemic is going to unfold, but we can come up with minimum requirements needed to move forward with in-person learning.”

Michigan 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 Michigan traditionally start the academic year after Labor Day, with the exact start date varying by district.

On March 12, Whitmer closed all schools in the state until April 5. On April 2, Whitmer announced that schools statewide would remain closed for the rest of the academic year.

Context

Michigan 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 Michigan, 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.

Michigan school metrics
Kategorie Figure Rank
Per pupil spending (16-17) $12,830 27
Number of students (18-19) 1,456,336 10
Number of teachers (Fall 2016) 83,597 12
Number of public schools (18-19) 3,754 6
Student:teacher ratio (18-19) 17.7 9
Percent qualifying for free/reduced lunch (16-17) 45.7% 29


Michigan school revenue
Kategorie Figure Rank
Total revenue $19,452,849,000 9
Federal revenue percent 9.2% 23
State revenue percent 60.2% 10
Local revenue percent 30.6% 42

Details

District reopening plans
Individual districts are responsible for developing their own reopening plans. Districts were required to file their plans with the state. Chalkbeat Detroit published a list of district reopening plans here.

In-person, hybrid, and online learning
The state’s school reopening plan closely follows the state’s economic reopening plan, linking specific policies for schools to the phase of economic reopening in that district. The plan outlines four scenarios for instruction during the economic reopening:

  • Schools open for in-person instruction with minimal required safety protocols (MI Safe Start Phase 6)
  • Schools open for in-person instruction with moderate required safety protocols (MI Safe Start Phase 5).
  • Schools open for in-person instruction with more stringent required safety protocols (MI Safe Start Phase 4).
  • Schools do not open for in-person instruction and instruction is provided remotely (MI Safe Start Phases 1-3).

Mask requirements
Depending on the phase of reopening in a district, there are different requirements for wearing masks or facial coverings. If the district is in Phase Four of the state’s reopening, all students and staff are required to wear facial coverings. In Phase Five, facial coverings are strongly recommended for all. In Phase Six, no facial covering recommendations are made.

In-person health recommendations and requirements
In Phase Four of the reopening plan, all students, staff, and visitors must take a health screening before entering the building, and all desks must be placed at least six feet apart. Indoor assemblies are limited to those with no more than one class. Meals are recommended to be staggered and taken in outdoor spaces to allow for six feet of social distancing. Off-site field trips are also suspended in this phase, and recess is recommended to be done outdoors with one class. If more than one class is at recess, the state recommends all students wear facial coverings.

In Phase Five, most of the requirements from Phase Four become recommendations. The plan emphasizes promoting social distancing to the greatest degree possible and recommends moving desks to allow six feet of distance. Gatherings like recess or assemblies should comply with executive orders about gathering sizes and should stress social distancing. Field trips are permitted, but facial coverings are required for transportation to and from the field trip site.

In Phase Six, safety protocols are no longer required.

In all phases, if a student or staff member shows symptoms of COVID-19, they are required to isolate and obtain a test. If a student or staff member tests positive, the guidelines require that student to isolate until they have a negative test or have quarantined for the amount of time outlined by the CDC. In the case of a positive test, those who were in close contact with the positive individual are recommended to quarantine and get a test.

Transportation and busing requirements and restrictions
In Phase Four of the state’s reopening plan, students and staff are required to wear masks and use hand sanitizer upon entering the bus. In Phase Five of the plan, facial coverings are strongly recommended on the bus. In Phase Six, safety protocols are no longer required on buses or transportation.

Responses

Michael Rice, state Superintendent of Instruction, praised the guidelines for return, saying, “This is a thoughtful set of parameters under which we can return safely and realistically to school in the fall. If we follow our health protocols, both inside school and out, we have the opportunity to stay in school longer next school year than if we assume that the pandemic has run its course. It hasn’t.”

MEA President Paula Herbart expressed concern for teacher and student safety in school reopening plans, saying in a video to teachers on July 22, “If medical experts say it’s not safe for us to return to buildings to teach students face-to-face, then we can’t and we won’t. If school districts are keeping you and your members out of the process, making decisions about returning to school that don’t include you, and are ignoring you at the bargaining table, then they’ll see us in court.”

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. ↑ To read more about Burbio's school disruption tracking, click here
  4. ↑ Burbio, "Burbio's K-12 School Opening Tracker," accessed August 27, 2021
  5. ↑ Burbio rated Michigan's in-person index at 87.5. To read more about Burbio's school opening tracker, click here. To read more about Burbio's methodology, click here.
  6. ↑ Burbio, "Burbio's K-12 School Opening Tracker," accessed Oct. 6, 2021
  7. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named MI1222
  8. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named MI1210
  9. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named MI1118
  10. ↑ Burbio rated Michigan's in-person index between. 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. 6, 2021
  12. ↑ MLive, "Gov. Whitmer signs back-to-school legislation allowing for virtual learning," August 20, 2020
  13. ↑ Governor of Michigan, "MI Safe Schools Return to School Roadmap," June 30, 2020
  14. ↑ State of Michigan, "Governor Whitmer Announces Next Steps for School Reopening in the Fall," June 17, 2020
  15. ↑ Bridge, "Whitmer closes Michigan classrooms for school year due to coronavirus," April 2, 2020
  16. ↑ WZZM, "Gov. Gretchen Whitmer extends school closures until April 13," March 23, 2020
  17. ↑ FOX2, "Gov. Whitmer announces statewide closure of all K-12 schools until April 5," March 12, 2020
  18. ↑ On Sept. 2, 2021 the ban was temporarily suspended by court action. An appeals court upheld the ban on Sept. 10.
  19. ↑ Gov. J.B. Pritzker (D) ended the statewide school mask requirement on Feb. 28, 2022.
  20. ↑ On Sept. 13, 2021 the ban was temporarily suspended by court action for all schools. On Jan. 25, 2022, the ban was partially reinstated.
  21. ↑ Oct. 26, 2021 - School districts could be exempt from the school mask requirement if they followed CDC quarantine guidance
  22. ↑ 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.
  23. ↑ Oct. 1 - Schools could become exempt from the school mask requirement when at least 80% of students were vaccinated
  24. ↑ On Nov. 10, 2021 the ban was suspended by court action. An appeals court upheld the ban on Dec. 1.
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