School data update, Jan. 3

Many school districts across the nation will once again open for in-person instruction later this month. But data on how COVID-19 spreads in schools remain inadequate.

At the request of one of my readers, I’ve updated my annotations of state K-12 data reporting, first published on December 6. The annotations are posted on a new resource page, which also includes notes on the four major national sources for COVID-19 school data.  I’ll be updating this page every two weeks.

Here’s how the state data stand, as of January 1:

• 34 states and the District of Columbia are reporting COVID-19 cases in K-12 schools, in some form
• 7 states are reporting incomplete data on school outbreaks or cases in school-aged children
• 20 states are separating out school case counts by students and staff
• 5 states are reporting deaths linked to school outbreaks
• 1 state is reporting COVID-19 tests conducted for school students and staff (New York)
• 2 states are reporting in-person enrollment (New York and Texas)

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