In March 2020, COVID-19 resulted in school closures for the remainder of the 2019-2020 school year across the nation. Because of the pandemic predictions regarding the 20202021 school year, concerns regarding curricular offerings and delivery surfaced quickly. A non-experimental quantitative comparative study was conducted in two neighboring Midwestern states with different directives for the 2020-2021 school year. The attribute of rurality became important to this study regarding curricular offerings and delivery because of challenges related to the access of technological resources in rural areas. This non-experimental quantitative comparative study focused on Illinois, where 20.8% of its public schools are rural and Iowa, where over half of its public schools are rural. Purposive sampling was used and superintendents from rural public districts were invited to complete an online survey. Research questions focused on how state mandates impacted curriculum offered, curriculum delivery strategies used, and professional development on remote learning provided to teachers before the start of the 2020-2021 school year. The overall survey return rate was 22.30% with 67% from Illinois and 33% from Iowa. Most respondents worked in districts with enrollments of 1 to 999 students. The theoretical framework for this study was the top-down theory of policy implementation wherein top decision-makers assume a command and control orientation, generating clear and definite policies/strategies that are communicated to others to implement. This study is important because it provides superintendents with a reference point for how mandated state policies can impact student achievement through both curriculum and its delivery.