This Map Shows the Patchwork Reopening Plans for U.S. Schools

Mapping out school reopening plans across the country is one way to see what happens when you place an international health crisis into the hands of local public health officials. While COVID-19 is now a uniform mess, impacting rural and urban America alike, the plans to move forward into the school year vary from county to county, and state to state. This makes for a motley map of strategies that, rightfully, has put parents on edge. It also offers a bit of ammo on whether certain parents should be wary about their district’s choice.

Using data from 342 U.S. schools educating more than 14 million students, Fatherly pulled together this map of school reopening plans across the country. The data, collected by Education Week, shows that about 50 percent of surveyed districts are offering online classes only, 32 percent are offering classes in person, and 18 percent are doing a mix of the two.

This map shows the general distribution of school reopenings. The more red a state is, the more districts are offering in-person instruction. The more blue, the more schools have opted for remote learning only. And the the paler that color, the more schools in the state are trying a partial reopening. For each state on the map, the number of districts represented ranges from 1 to 42. We offer a breakdown below of how many surveyed schools are reopening per state, including districts that are undecided. To be clear, the data is incomplete. These numbers are only a snapshot of all U.S. schools and are based on districts’ current plans, which are subject to change.

What can we make of this preliminary data? For one, that no public health answer has gained traction throughout the country. This is likely a result of the fact that health isn’t the only factor that goes into school openings. There’s the economy — holding down a job while taking care of the kids is, for many parents, impossible. And there’s the wellbeing of children, especially those who rely on schools for shelter, food, and caregiving. Health and developmental concerns are real, but so are economic concerns and concerns surrounding the wellbeing of parents. No wonder when you map it all out it seems few school districts can agree on a clear path forward.

• Alabama:
• 56% full reopening
• 44% from home
• Survey included 9 districts enrolling 96,739* kids.

• Alaska
• 50%** full reopening
• 17% from home
• 17% partial reopening
• 17% undecided
• Survey included 6 districts enrolling 90,319 kids.

• Arizona
• 100% from home
• Survey included 5 districts enrolling 223,424 kids.

• Arkansas
• 100% full reopening
• Survey included 3 districts enrolling 51,131 kids.

• California
• 5% full reopening
• 93% from home
• 2% undecided
• Survey included 42 districts enrolling 1,607,379 kids.

• Colorado
• 45% full reopening
• 27% from home
• 18% partial reopening
• 9% undecided
• Survey included 11 districts enrolling 503,944 kids.

• Connecticut
• 75% full reopening
• 25% partial reopening
• Survey included 4 districts enrolling 51,435 kids.
• Delaware
• 50% partial reopening
• 50% undecided
• Survey included 2 districts enrolling 25,844 kids.
• Florida
• 80% full reopening
• 16% from home
• 4% partial reopening
• Survey included 25 districts enrolling 2,319,953 kids.
• Georgia
• 23% full reopening
• 69% from home
• 8% undecided
• Survey included 13 districts enrolling 714,390 kids.
• Hawaii
• 100% partial reopening
• Survey included 1 district enrolling 181,278 kids.
• Idaho
• 100% full reopening
• Survey included 1 district enrolling 40,205 kids.
• Illinois
• 36% full reopening
• 36% from home
• 21% partial reopening
• 7% undecided
• Survey included 14 districts enrolling 538,335 kids.
• Indiana
• 58% full reopening
• 8% from home
• 33% partial reopening
• Survey included 12 districts enrolling 135,715 kids.
• Iowa
• 67% partial reopening
• 33% undecided
• survey included 6 districts enrolling 79,842 kids.
• Kansas
• 60% full reopening
• 40% from home
• Survey included 5 districts enrolling 95,470 kids.
• Kentucky
• 33% full reopening
• 67% from home
• Survey included 3 districts enrolling 147,360 kids.
• Louisiana
• 25% from home
• 75% partial reopening
• Survey included 4 districts enrolling 117,451 kids.
• Maine
• 40% partial reopening
• 60% undecided
• Survey included 5 districts enrolling 21,583 kids.
• Maryland
• 100% from home
• Survey included 12 districts enrolling 774,365 kids.
• Massachusetts
• 100% undecided
• Survey included 1 district enrolling 47,205 kids.
• Michigan
• 40% full reopening
• 40% from home
• 20% undecided
• Survey included 5 districts enrolling 78,806 kids.
• Minnesota
• 67% from home
• 33% undecided
• Survey included 3 districts enrolling 111,270 kids.
• Mississippi
• 29% full reopening
• 14% from home
• 57% partial reopening
• Survey included 7 districts enrolling 50,619 kids.
• Missouri
• 30% full reopening
• 50% from home
• 20% partial reopening
• Survey included 10 districts enrolling 86,219 kids.
• Montana
• 100% undecided
• Survey included 4 districts enrolling 23,925 kids.
• Nebraska
• 80% full reopening
• 20% partial reopening
• Survey included 5 districts enrolling 107,043 kids.
• Nevada
• 50% from home
• 50% partial reopening
• Survey included 2 districts enrolling 397,338 kids.
• New Hampshire
• 100% undecided
• Survey included 1 district enrolling 13,522 kids.
• New Jersey
• 33% partial reopening
• 67% undecided
• Survey included 3 districts enrolling 59,014 kids.
• New Mexico
• 100% from home
• Survey included 6 districts enrolling 162,490 kids.
• New York
• 100% partial reopening
• Survey included 1 district enrolling 960,484 kids.
• North Carolina
• 86% from home
• 14% partial reopening
• Survey included 7 districts enrolling 509,814 kids.
• North Dakota
• 50% full reopening
• 50% undecided
• Survey included 2 districts enrolling 24,723 kids.
• Ohio
• 39% full reopening
• 22% from home
• 17% partial reopening
• 22% undecided
• Survey included 18 districts enrolling 206,795 kids.
• Oklahoma
• 50% from home
• 50% undecided
• Survey included 2 districts enrolling 74,042 kids.
• Oregon
• 50% from home
• 50% partial reopening
• Survey included 2 districts enrolling 90,630 kids.
• Pennsylvania
• 33% full reopening
• 33% from home
• 22% partial reopening
• 11% undecided
• Survey included 9 districts enrolling 208,748 kids.
• Rhode Island
• 100% undecided
• Survey included 1 district enrolling 23,955 kids.
• South Carolina
• 17% full reopening
• 50% partial reopening
• 33% undecided
• Survey included 6 districts enrolling 196,525 kids.
• South Dakota
• 50% full reopening
• 50% undecided
• Survey included 2 districts enrolling 27,895 kids.
• Tennessee
• 47% full reopening
• 12% from home
• 35% partial reopening
• 6% undecided
• Survey included 17 districts enrolling 427,814 kids.
• Texas
• 25% full reopening
• 75% from home
• Survey included 40 districts enrolling 2,139,872 kids.
• Utah
• 80% full reopening
• 20% partial reopening
• Survey included 5 districts enrolling 311,600 kids.
• Vermont
• 100% partial reopening
• Survey included 5 districts enrolling 12,405 kids.
• Virginia
• 7% full reopening
• 73% from home
• 13% partial reopening
• 7% undecided
• Survey included 15 districts enrolling 649,523 kids.
• Washington
• 83% from home
• 17% undecided
• Survey included 6 districts enrolling 149,653 kids.
• West Virginia
• 80% partial reopening
• 20% undecided
• Survey included 5 districts enrolling 61,146 kids.
• Wisconsin
• 25% from home
• 50% partial reopening
• 25% undecided
• Survey included 4 districts enrolling 84,134 kids.
• Wyoming
• 67% full reopening
• 33% undecided
• Survey included 3 districts enrolling 36,415 kids.

*Enrollment numbers are from the 2018-2019 year, as reported by the National Center for Education Statistics.

**Percentages are rounded and may not add up to 100 percent.