COVID-19 Response

Updated List of Statewide School Closures with Closure Dates

(Updated May 11; originally published March 17) With nearly every state shutting down schools for the rest of the 2019–2020 academic year, many are now weighing options for summer school, with decisions expected in the next few weeks. Plans for the fall appear to be on hold for most states.

Forty-seven states so far have extended their statewide school closures through the remainder of the school year — 44 by mandate, three by recommendation. Of those that have not closed for the remainder of the year:

Montana has allowed schools to reopen as of May 7, although most districts remain closed to in-person instruction. Schools that did reopen in that state are practicing social distancing and taking other precautions with students reentering school buildings. Prior to this, Montana's Department of Education had recommended that all schools in the state remain closed through the end of the school year. Montana was previously included in our list of states that shut down schools for the remainder of the school year.

Nebraska schools are closed until May 31, which for many districts in that state is beyond the last day of the academic year anyway. No word yet as to whether that closure date will stand or be extended to encompass all schools in the state.

The Wyoming school closure order is currently set to expire May 18. This latest closure extension was issued just a day before the previous closure order's expiration of April 30, and neither the governor not the Department of Education has yet begun hinting at what comes next.

Plans for Summer and Fall

We're now beginning to track statewide plans for summer schools, along with highlights from some of the major school districts. Most states have not yet issues clear guidance on summer school with regards to potential in-person instruction. In states without clear guidance, many large districts have already announced cancellation of in-person instruction for the summer. Here's what is known so far. (Red indicates a state has clearly closed summer schools to in-person instruction; green indicates open.)