No Good Options: Analysis of Catholic School Reopening Plans in Fall 2020

Abstract

As schools across the country made decisions about how to safely reopen during the COVID-19 pandemic in the Fall of 2020, Catholic schools reopened for in-person instruction more than surrounding public schools. This study analyzes published reopening plans from 136 Catholic schools in 18 different states to explore how schools reopened and how they communicated their plans. Results showed that Catholic schools mostly did not decide to reopen virtually, consistent with local health data trends and public school decisions. Rather, Catholic schools offered in-person education with health and safety protocols in place. Most schools in the sample did not communicate their plans in full on their websites. Plans that were accessible on websites were analyzed based on the National Standards and Benchmarks of Effective Catholic Schools for evidence of the added value of Catholic education during this time.