How Coronavirus has Impacted Schools Across the Country

Rebecca Ploski

New Rochelle High School recently reopened for hybrid instruction on November 9th, and our school switched to virtual learning on November 19th. Yet, our school is not an anomaly: This is happening all over America.In order to see how other schools and districts across the country faced COVID-19, I asked five friends from Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Wisconsin, California and Georgia about their experiences coming back to school this year.

           As a point of comparison to the five districts and schools showcased in this article, New Rochelle City School District has 10,584 students, with 3,331 students attending New Rochelle High School. New Rochelle itself has about 79,000 residents.

Pennsylvania 

(As of November 18th)

I talked with Olivia, a student at Emmaus High School in Emmaus, Pennsylvania. Emmaus High School has about 2,700 students, and is a part of the East Penn School District, which has 8,345 according to the Pennsylvania Department of Education. Emmaus High School started the year off with virtual instruction, but transitioned to hybrid instruction on October 26th. Students were given the option to choose between hybrid and virtual learning. Emmaus High School was open for about two weeks with the hybrid model, but ended up going virtual due to a rise in COVID-19 cases. Their current plan is to remain fully remote until at least December 1st. Pennsylvania allows districts to decide what type of school they will have, whether it be in-person, hybrid, or virtual.

At the moment, Pennsylvania has a mask mandate. On November 20th, an order went into effect by Pennsylvania’s health secretary requiring anyone who enters the state to be tested within 72 hours of arrival, or if you cannot get a test, quarantine for 14 days. Pennsylvania also has a 25% capacity limit on indoor dining. 

New Jersey

(As of November 18th)

I also talked with Kali, a high schooler in Randolph, New Jersey, attending Randolph High School within the Randolph Township School District. Randolph High School has about 2,000 students, and the district has about 5,500 students in total. Randolph High School currently has a hybrid model with two cohorts divided by last name. The hybrid model has been in place since the beginning of the school year, and students were able to choose hybrid or virtual learning. Every morning, all students have two virtual classes from 7:30-9:30am, which operate via Microsoft Teams. Students learning in-person on a given day are in-person between 10:30 and 2:30 PM.Though Randolph Township School District has seen success with its hybrid model, it is one of a few districts still open in the area. In New Jersey, districts can develop their own reopening plan, as long as it meets guidelines.

Currently, New Jersey has a mask mandate, along with indoor gatherings with a limit of ten people. Outdoor gatherings have a limit of 150 people. Bars and restaurants cannot operate indoor dining after 10pm, and towns and counties are able to close such establishments by 8pm if they wish. 

Wisconsin

(As of November 19th)

I talked with Eliza, a student at Madison West High School, in Madison, Wisconsin. Madison West High School has around 2,200 students, and is part of Madison Metropolitan School District, which has about 27,000 students. Currently, all of Madison Metropolitan School District is utilizing virtual instruction, and has since the beginning of the school year—it’s possible it could continue for the entire school year. Eliza’s high school has a rotating schedule of 3-4 synchronous classes daily, with the exception of asynchronous Wednesdays. Wisconsin lets districts choose their method of learning: in-person, hybrid, or virtual.

According to Eliza, “The state legislature sued the governor for control of relief planning, and then has done virtually nothing (no pun intended).” Wisconsin currently has a mask mandate that was recently extended into January 2021, but no other set restrictions. However, Governor Tony Evers has recommended residents they stay at home, and limit gathering sizes.

California

(As of November 19th)

Another student I chatted with is Elisa, a student in San Diego, California, who attends University City High School within the San Diego Unified School District. University City High School has about 1,800 students, and San Diego Unified School District has around 130,000. University City High School has been operating with virtual instruction since the beginning of the school year. Despite plans to implement hybrid instruction on January 25th, Elisa doesn’t expect they will due to the rising number of COVID-19 cases. Modifications for learning during the COVID-19 pandemic also changed the school’s semester system to a quarter system. Now, University City High School has “three classes for nine weeks, then the other three for nine weeks, then repeat,” explains Elisa. In California, districts can choose their reopening plan, but for in person instruction, it has to guidelines implemented by the state.

California currently has a mask mandate, with masks required if someone is outside of their home. Governor Newsom has announced a month long 10pm curfew for counties in the strictest level of pandemic restrictions, that began on November 21st. Indoor dining and indoor church services are prohibited as well. 41 of California’s counties, or 94% of the population are affected by these restrictions. Los Angeles County is prohibiting outdoor dining for three weeks, which began on November 22nd. 

Georgia

(As of November 24th)

The last student I talked with is Darion, a student at Druid Hills High School, in Atlanta, Georgia. Druid Hills High School has about 1300 students, and is a part of DeKalb County School District— the third largest school district in Georgia, serving over 100,000 students. Druid Hills High School currently operates under virtual instruction, and has been since the start of the school year. When COVID-19 cases decrease to under 100 cases daily per 100,000 residents of the county, students will be able to choose between a hybrid or virtual model. During remote learning, Druid Hills High School begins shortened classes (previously 90 minutes, now 45 minutes) at 9:45 AM. Georgia is another state that lets districts choose their reopening plans.

At the moment, Georgia doesn’t have a statewide mask mandate, but cities and counties are able to impose local mask mandates. However, back in July, Georgia’s governor Brian Kemp sued the city of Atlanta for imposing mask restrictions, as he believed the city couldn’t impose stricter mandates than executive orders. The lawsuit was subsequently dropped in August. Other current Georgia restrictions include bans on gatherings larger than 50 people. 

New York

all information as of November 29th

            New Rochelle High School started the year off virtually, with a plan to transition to hybrid in November. Students were given the option to choose between hybrid or virtual learning, and if you choose hybrid, you would be split into one of three cohorts. The year started off with the same schedule times as a normal year, albeit virtual. It then transitioned into a virtual schedule with “brain breaks”, thirty minute breaks in between the periods. Then, once hybrid began, a new schedule without brain breaks was created. When New Rochelle High School transitioned to virtual, New Rochelle High School was open between November 9th and 18th, or for six hybrid days of instruction. After closing on the 19th, and the school district announcing the whole district will be virtual until at least December 3rd. Now, the school district has a phase-in schedule, with pre-K through 3rd grade returning on December 10th, and grades 4-8 returning on January 4th. New Rochelle High School will remain virtual until further notice.

           Currently, New York leaves school reopenings up to the districts as long as COVID-19 cases in a region aren’t too high, schools can reopen in person. New York also has a mask mandate.