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This page is no longer being updated.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

    Jobs Virtual Career Fair for Teachers and K-12 Staff
    Find teaching jobs and other jobs in K-12 education at the EdWeek Top School Jobs virtual career fair.
    Ed-Tech Policy Webinar Artificial Intelligence in Practice: Building a Roadmap for AI Use in Schools
    AI in education: game-changer or classroom chaos? Join our webinar & learn how to navigate this evolving tech responsibly.
    Education Webinar Developing and Executing Impactful Research Campaigns to Fuel Your Ed Marketing Strategy 
    Develop impactful research campaigns to fuel your marketing. Join the EdWeek Research Center for a webinar with actionable take-aways for companies who sell to K-12 districts.

    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 Q&A Prop Up the Principal, But Do It In Your Own Way: An Assistant Principal’s Advice to His Peers
    Charles Longshore is both a coach and confidante to his teachers and students—all to support his principal’s larger vision for the school.
    6 min read
    Charles Longshore, the assistant principal at Dothan Preparatory Academy in Dothan, Ala., interacts with students.
    Charles Longshore, the assistant principal at Dothan Preparatory Academy in Dothan, Ala., observes a student's project.
    Courtesy photo
    School & District Management It's Not Just Snow Days: How Can Districts Work Extreme Weather Into Their Calendars?
    Extreme weather that's becoming more frequent is challenging districts with novel choices about when it's safe to stay open.
    5 min read
    Concept of counting down days. Hand is marking out dates on monthly calendar.
    iStock / Getty Images Plus
    School & District Management Opinion The Single Most Effective Thing Administrators Can Do: Shut Up and Listen
    By listening deeply, administrators can create an environment where everyone feels valued, supported, and can challenge assumptions.
    11 min read
    Images shows colorful speech bubbles that say "Q," "&," and "A."
    iStock/Getty