Factors Associated with Initial Public School Reopening Plans During the US COVID-19 Pandemic: a Retrospective Study

Abstract

Because of the novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), all 50 states closed public schools by April 2020 for the remainder of the academic year to mitigate COVID-19 transmission. School reopening decisions for the 2020–2021 academic year were delegated to states and local districts. Reopening options include full on-site learning, hybrid approaches with mixed remote and in-person learning, and remote-only learning. Lacking robust evidence, decisionmakers weighed the risks of exposing students and staff to COVID-19 with the benefits of in-person school, including superior academic outcomes and the provision of essential services, such as nutrition and childcare. 3 Identifying factors that influenced school reopening decisions early in the academic year will allow policymakers and communities to understand the extent to which community COVID-19 prevalence and other characteristics informed reopening strategies. Officials are frequently re-evaluating strategies and incorporating evidence as knowledge increases about the virus and the impacts of different mitigation strategies. The North Carolina (NC) Governor announced on July 14, 2020, that districts could select between modified onsite learning (hybrid) and remote learning–only options. Using NC as a case study, we characterize the COVID-19 burden, school, and county characteristics associated with initial school district 2020–2021 reopening decisions.