Report
Will Students Come Back?
Aug 18, 2021
RAND researchers surveyed more than 2,000 parents of children ages 5–18 in May 2021 about their willingness to send their children to school in person in fall 2021. The research team also asked parents about their support for various health and safety practices at school, including getting their children tested for coronavirus disease 2019, and whether they would get their children vaccinated if a vaccine were available.
School Hesitancy Among Parents and Their Preferences for COVID-19 Safety Practices in Schools
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RAND researchers surveyed 2,015 parents of children ages 5–18 in May 2021 about their willingness to send their children to school in person in fall 2021. The research team also asked parents about their support for various health and safety practices at school, including getting their children tested for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), and whether they would get their children vaccinated if a vaccine were available. The results are intended to inform school districts' and health officials' planning for operating schools in fall 2021.
As of May 2021, 84 percent of parents surveyed said that they planned to send their children to school in person in fall 2021. Black and Hispanic parents were the most hesitant about sending their children back for in-person schooling in fall 2021. Two-thirds of parents overall said that they wanted to keep COVID-19 school safety measures, although subgroups of parents differed. Fifty-two percent of those surveyed planned to vaccinate their children, and another 17 percent were unsure. Rural parents and those who were not vaccinated themselves were the least likely to intend to vaccinate their children against COVID-19.
The research described in this report was sponsored by The Rockefeller Foundation and conducted by RAND Education and Labor.
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