School & District Management Interactive

Masks, Vaccines & Testing: How the Biggest City School Districts Operated in Fall 2021

By Tonya Harris — August 30, 2021 | Updated: June 08, 2022 1 min read
  • Save to favorites
  • Print

This page is no longer being updated. The data was last updated Sept. 16, 2021.

The 2021-22 school year was as challenging as the previous year for district leaders forced to make high-stakes decisions about student and employee health and safety as the COVID-19 pandemic continued.

This tracker followed key operating protocols and requirements for some of America’s largest school districts (plus, the Toronto, Ontario, district). All were members of the Council of the Great City Schools, which closely documented how its districts handled vaccine, mask, and coronavirus testing requirements.

Collectively, these school systems served about 8.2 million students, or roughly 15 percent of the U.S. public school enrollment. Across these districts, 44 percent of students were Hispanic, 27 percent were Black, 18 percent were white, 8 percent were Asian/Pacific Islander, and 2 percent were Alaskan/Native American. More than 70 percent qualified for free and reduced-price meals.*

The COVID-19 pandemic has taken a disproportionate toll on Black, Hispanic, and Native American communities—in numbers of infections, rates of death, job losses, and food and housing insecurity.

As of Sept. 15, 2021, 96% of the 74 member districts in the Council of the Great City Schools—some of the largest school districts in the U.S.—mandated masks in the classroom.


Search the table for the status and nuanced descriptions of what was happening in each school district.

    * These demographics include students in public schools in Puerto Rico, a U.S. territory, but not students in the Toronto district (a member of the Council in Ontario, Canada)

    Contact Information

    For media or research inquiries about this table and data, contact library@educationweek.org.

    How to Cite This Page

    Harris, Tonya. Masks, Vaccines & Testing: How the Biggest City School Districts Operated in 2021-22 (2021, August 30). Education Week. Retrieved Month Day, Year from https://www.edweek.org/leadership/masks-vaccines-testing-how-the-biggest-city-school-districts-are-operating-this-year/2021/08

    Events

    This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
    Sponsor
    Assessment Webinar
    Reflections on Evidence-Based Grading Practices: What We Learned for Next Year
    Get real insights on evidence-based grading from K-12 leaders.
    Content provided by Otus
    Mathematics Webinar How to Build Students’ Confidence in Math
    Learn practical tips to build confident mathematicians in our webinar.
    Student Achievement K-12 Essentials Forum How to Build and Scale Effective K-12 State & District Tutoring Programs
    Join this free virtual summit to learn from education leaders, policymakers, and industry experts on the topic of high-impact tutoring.

    EdWeek Top School Jobs

    Teacher Jobs
    Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide — elementary, middle, high school and more.
    View Jobs
    Principal Jobs
    Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
    View Jobs
    Administrator Jobs
    Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
    View Jobs
    Support Staff Jobs
    Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.
    View Jobs

    Read Next

    School & District Management 1 in 4 Students Are Chronically Absent. 3 Tools to Change That
    Chronic absenteeism is a daunting problem. But district leaders aren't alone in facing it, and there are ways they can fight it.
    5 min read
    Empty desks within a classroom
    iStock/Getty Images Plus
    School & District Management Opinion Lawmakers Don’t Know What Happens in Schools. Principals Can Help
    School leaders must fight to take education funding off the political battlefield.
    3 min read
    Illustration collage of the U.S. Capitol steps with numerous silhouetted people walking up the steps. There is a yellow halo around them to show the collective power. In the background behind the U.S. Capitol is the back of a young school girl with her hand raised.
    Gina Tomko/Education Week via Canva
    School & District Management Principals Can't Manage Teacher Morale Alone. Enter the Go-Between
    Principals can't check in with every teacher. Can a go-between leader help them out?
    6 min read
    The concept of joint teamwork, building a team. Working people connecting pieces of puzzles. Metaphor of cooperation and staff partnership.
    Anastasiia Boriagina/iStock
    School & District Management Quiz Quiz Yourself: How Much Do You Know About Marketing To District and School Leaders at Conferences and Trade Shows?
    Think you know what catches a K-12 leader’s eye at conferences? Take this quiz and test your marketing savvy.
    120122 mb data conferences 1385168396
    Image by Getty