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Volume 30, Number 1—January 2024
Research

COVID-19–Related School Closures, United States, July 27, 2020–June 30, 2022

Nicole ZviedriteComments to Author , Ferdous Jahan, Sarah Moreland1, Faruque Ahmed, and Amra Uzicanin
Author affiliations: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, USA (N. Zviedrite, F. Jahan, S. Moreland, F. Ahmed, A. Uzicanin); Cherokee Nation Operational Solutions, LLC, Tulsa, Oklahoma, USA (F. Jahan); Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education, Oak Ridge, Tennessee, USA (S. Moreland)

Main Article

Table 2

Reasons for COVID-19–related K–12 school closure, United States, July 27, 2020–June 30, 2022*

Reasons for school closure decision stated in closure announcement† Total
2020–21‡
2021–22‡
District School District School District School
COVID-19–related closure 3,443 7,441 1,528 4,794 1,915 2,647
COVID-19 only 85 (2.5) 123 (1.7) 43 (2.8) 76 (1.6) 42 (2.2) 49 (1.9)
COVID-19 and specific reasons
3,358 (97.5)
7,318(98.3)

1,485 (97.2)
4,718 (98.4)

1,873 (97.8)
2,598 (98.1)
Transmission-related reasons
Positive case 1,845 (53.6) 4,511 (60.6) 724 (47.4) 2,829 (59.0) 1,121 (58.5) 1,682 (61.5)
In student 758 (22.0) 1,412 (19.0) 233 (15.2) 651 (13.6) 525 (27.4) 761 (28.7)
In staff member 763 (22.2) 1,359 (18.3) 226 (14.8) 575 (12.0) 537 (28.0) 784 (29.6)
In household member§ 15 (0.4) 24 (0.3) 11 (0.7) 12 (0.3) 4 (0.2) 12 (0.5)
In visitor 2 (0.1) 0 2 (0.1) 0 0 0
Suspected case 78 (2.3) 224 (3.0) 64 (4.2) 173 (3.6) 14 (0.7) 51 (1.9)
In student 23 (0.7) 70 (0.9) 21 (1.4) 48 (1.0) 2 (0.1) 22 (0.8)
In staff member 33 (1.0) 71 (1.0) 27 (1.8) 53 (1.1) 6 (0.3) 18 (0.7)
In household member§ 0 5 (0.1) 0 5 (0.1) 0 0
Increased student absenteeism 515 (15.0) 732 (9.8) 56 (3.7) 132 (2.8) 459 (24.0) 600 (31.3)
Increased staff absenteeism 1,022 (29.7) 1,955 (26.3) 183 (12.0) 536 (11.2) 839 (43.8) 1,419 (53.6)
Cluster or widespread transmission¶ 1,096 (31.8) 1,918 (25.8) 727 (47.8) 1,556 (32.5) 369 (19.3) 362 (13.7)
State or local guidance or mandate 348 (10.1) 1,146 (15.4) 318 (20.8) 1,091 (22.8) 30 (1.6) 55 (2.1)
To clean or disinfect# 240 (7.0) 682 (9.2) 102 (6.7) 562 (11.7) 138 (7.2) 120 (4.5)
Other**
356 (10.3)
750 (10.1)

146 (9.6)
532 (11.1)

210 (11.0)
218 (8.2)
Non–transmission-related reasons
Vaccination of staff or students 83 (2.4) 56 (0.8) 66 (4.3) 49 (1.0) 17 (0.9) 7 (0.3)
Side effects of vaccination 9 (0.3) 18 (0.2) 9 (0.6) 18 (0.4) 0 0
Teacher shortage 135 (3.9) 158 (2.1) 20 (1.3) 26 (0.5) 115 (6.0) 132 (5.0)
Mental health 158 (4.6) 48 (0.6) 0 0 158 (8.3) 48 (1.8)
Other†† 17 (0.5) 32 (0.4) 0 10 (0.2) 17 (0.9) 22(0.8)

*Values are no. (%) except as indicated. †Reasons are recorded as stated in the school closure announcements. Categories are not mutually exclusive because a closure announcement may attribute the closure to >1 factor, there may be >1 announcement that contributes the closure to different factors, or both. ‡School year: 2020–21 (July 27, 2020–June 30, 2021), 2021–22 (August 1, 2021–June 30, 2022). §Of student or staff. ¶In the community. #Classrooms, buildings, and facilities **Other reasons were contact tracing, quarantine of students and staff, prevention of holiday-related surge, precautionary measure as a concern of community spread because of union wanting work stoppage, death of staff member, inability to find substitute teachers, transportation issues, critical lack of community resources (including contact tracers), testing, out of an abundance of caution, influenza or other respiratory virus-related or enteric virus-related illnesses, internet outage, facility issues, and noncompliance with governor’s executive orders regarding nonpharmaceutical interventions. ††Other reasons were staff protesting in-person learning, protest over mask policy, transportation issue, lack of resources, allowing time for testing, and work on the COVID-19 mitigation plan.

Main Article

1Current affiliation: Henry M. Jackson Foundation, Bethesda, Maryland, USA.

Page created: November 08, 2023
Page updated: December 20, 2023
Page reviewed: December 20, 2023
The conclusions, findings, and opinions expressed by authors contributing to this journal do not necessarily reflect the official position of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the Public Health Service, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or the authors' affiliated institutions. Use of trade names is for identification only and does not imply endorsement by any of the groups named above.
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