The American Academy of Pediatrics says districts may have to require vaccinations and also urges students and teachers to keep wearing masks when the school year starts.

The proposed rules did not actually suggest the contested material would be required for grantees to use, but Education Secretary Miguel Cardona addressed concerns of critics by making clear in a blog post that curriculum decisions will not be dictated by the federal government.

Numbers plummeted from October 2020 through early March as uncertainty over coronavirus and financial hardships impacted families