Credit lines available

No definition available.

Name:	schl_CreditLinesAvailable
Namespace Prefix:	schl_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

-- None. No documentation exists for this element. --

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	schl_DebtDetailsLineItems
Namespace Prefix:	schl_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Debt Instrument, Available Increase in Borrowing Capacity

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	schl_DebtInstrumentAvailableIncreaseinBorrowingCapacity
Namespace Prefix:	schl_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Debt Instrument Covenant Equity Transaction Restrictions Debt Limit

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	schl_DebtInstrumentCovenantEquityTransactionRestrictionsDebtLimit
Namespace Prefix:	schl_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

The fee, expressed as a percentage of the line of credit facility, for the line of credit facility regardless of whether the facility has been used.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	schl_LineOfCreditFacilityFeePercentage
Namespace Prefix:	schl_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Lines of credit, short term debt and current portion of long term deb

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	schl_LinesOfCreditShortTermDebtAndCurrentPortionOfLongTermDebt
Namespace Prefix:	schl_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Standby Letters of Credit

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	schl_StandbyLettersofCredit
Namespace Prefix:	schl_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Percentage points added to the reference rate to compute the variable rate on the debt instrument.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_DebtInstrumentBasisSpreadOnVariableRate1
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Represents the aggregate of total long-term debt, including current maturities and short-term debt.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_DebtLongtermAndShorttermCombinedAmount
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amount of current borrowing capacity under the credit facility considering any current restrictions on the amount that could be borrowed (for example, borrowings may be limited by the amount of current assets), but without considering any amounts currently outstanding under the facility.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_LineOfCreditFacilityCurrentBorrowingCapacity
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Period remaining on line of credit facility before it terminates, in 'PnYnMnDTnHnMnS' format, for example, 'P1Y5M13D' represents the reported fact of one year, five months, and thirteen days.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_LineOfCreditFacilityExpirationPeriod
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:durationItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount of borrowing capacity currently available under the credit facility (current borrowing capacity less the amount of borrowings outstanding).

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_LineOfCreditFacilityRemainingBorrowingCapacity
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Reflects the total carrying amount as of the balance sheet date of debt having initial terms less than one year or the normal operating cycle, if longer.

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 210
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.5-02(19)(a))
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6877327&loc=d3e13212-122682

Reference 2: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 944
-SubTopic 210
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.7-03(a)(16)(a)(1))
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6879938&loc=d3e572229-122910

Reference 3: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 942
-SubTopic 210
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.9-03(13))
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6876686&loc=d3e534808-122878

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_ShortTermBorrowings
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Weighted average interest rate of short-term debt outstanding calculated at point in time.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_ShortTermDebtWeightedAverageInterestRate
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis=schl_LoanAgreementMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	srt_RangeAxis=srt_MinimumMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	srt_RangeAxis=srt_MaximumMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_VariableRateAxis=schl_FederalFundsRateMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_VariableRateAxis=us-gaap_EurodollarMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_VariableRateAxis=us-gaap_BaseRateMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_VariableRateAxis=us-gaap_LondonInterbankOfferedRateLIBORMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_ShortTermDebtTypeAxis=us-gaap_UnsecuredDebtMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_CreditFacilityAxis=us-gaap_DomesticLineOfCreditMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_ShortTermDebtTypeAxis=us-gaap_SecuredDebtMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_CreditFacilityAxis=us-gaap_LineOfCreditMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis=us-gaap_RevolvingCreditFacilityMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis=schl_TwoThousandandSevenLoanAgreementMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_CreditFacilityAxis=us-gaap_LetterOfCreditMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_CreditFacilityAxis=schl_SwinglineFacilityMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

Debt - Narrative (Details) - USD ($)	3 Months Ended
Debt - Narrative (Details) - USD ($)	Aug. 31, 2019	May 31, 2019	Aug. 31, 2018	Jan. 05, 2017	Jun. 01, 2007
Debt (Details) [Line Items]
Standby letters of credit	$ 5,300,000
Debt	13,000,000.0	$ 7,300,000	$ 15,700,000
Lines of credit, short-term debt and current portion of long-term debt	$ 13,000,000.0	7,300,000	15,700,000
Loan Agreement
Debt (Details) [Line Items]
Borrowing capacity				$ 375,000,000.0	$ 425,000,000.0
Starter basket for permitted payments of dividends and other capital stock payments				$ 275,000,000.0	$ 75,000,000.0
Facility fee (percentage)	0.20%
Increase in borrwoing capacity available under accordion feature	$ 150,000,000.0
Standby letters of credit	$ 400,000
Loan Agreement \| Minimum
Debt (Details) [Line Items]
Facility fee (percentage)	0.20%
Loan Agreement \| Maximum
Debt (Details) [Line Items]
Facility fee (percentage)	0.40%
Loan Agreement \| Federal Funds Rate
Debt (Details) [Line Items]
Variable rate (percentage)	0.50%
Loan Agreement \| Eurodollar
Debt (Details) [Line Items]
Variable rate (percentage)	1.00%
Loan Agreement \| Base Rate
Debt (Details) [Line Items]
Variable rate (percentage)	0.175%
Loan Agreement \| Base Rate \| Minimum
Debt (Details) [Line Items]
Variable rate (percentage)	0.175%
Loan Agreement \| Base Rate \| Maximum
Debt (Details) [Line Items]
Variable rate (percentage)	0.60%
Loan Agreement \| London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR) \| Minimum
Debt (Details) [Line Items]
Variable rate (percentage)	1.175%
Loan Agreement \| London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR) \| Maximum
Debt (Details) [Line Items]
Variable rate (percentage)	1.60%
Unsecured Debt \| Domestic Line of Credit
Debt (Details) [Line Items]
Borrowing capacity	$ 25,000,000.0
Standby letters of credit	4,900,000
Short-term debt	0	$ 0	$ 0
Remaining borrowing capacity	$ 20,100,000
Expiration period (in days)	365 days
Secured Debt \| Line of Credit
Debt (Details) [Line Items]
Borrowing capacity	$ 24,300,000
Expiration period (in days)	364 days
Debt	$ 13,000,000.0
Available credit	$ 11,300,000
Weighted average interest rate (percentage)	4.10%	4.10%	3.60%
Lines of credit, short-term debt and current portion of long-term debt		$ 7,300,000	$ 15,700,000
Revolving Credit Facility \| 2007 Loan Agreement \| Letter of Credit
Debt (Details) [Line Items]
Borrowing capacity	$ 50,000,000.0
Revolving Credit Facility \| 2007 Loan Agreement \| Swingline Facility
Debt (Details) [Line Items]
Borrowing capacity	$ 15,000,000.0