It is pretty prevalent in the US. I was part of a group that taught in several hundred different schools in Arizona. I was able to run about a dozen programs in Indiana at one point. I know Texas, Washington, and New Jersey have massive numbers of chess programs. I'm pretty sure Idaho adopted it into the Statewide public school curriculum.
@#10 There is a private academy in Northern Indiana that employs a chess master full time for chess classes, but like you said.. that is not the norm.
@#10 There is a private academy in Northern Indiana that employs a chess master full time for chess classes, but like you said.. that is not the norm.