XML 84 R86.htm IDEA: XBRL DOCUMENT v3.20.1

Capital Stock and Changes in Capital Accounts, Cash Dividends Paid (Details) - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, $ in Thousands									12 Months Ended
	Apr. 17, 2019	Mar. 20, 2019	Jan. 16, 2019	Dec. 19, 2018	Oct. 24, 2018	Sep. 26, 2018	Jul. 18, 2018	Jun. 21, 2018	Apr. 30, 2020	Apr. 30, 2019	Apr. 30, 2018
Share repurchases [Abstract]
Average purchase price (in dollars per share)									$ 43.05	$ 50.35	$ 55.65
Cash dividend [Abstract]
Total Dividend	$ 19,000		$ 19,000		$ 19,100		$ 19,200		$ 76,658	$ 75,752	$ 73,542
Class A Common Stock [Member]
Share repurchases [Abstract]
Shares Repurchased (in shares)									1,079,936	1,191,496	713,177
Cash dividend [Abstract]
Common stock dividend (in dollars per share)									$ 1.36	$ 1.32	$ 1.28
Class A Common Stock [Member] | Dividend Declared in Q1 2020 [Member]
Cash dividend [Abstract]
Date of Declaration by Board of Directors									Jun. 27, 2019
Common stock dividend (in dollars per share)								$ 0.34
Dividend paid date									Jul. 24, 2019
Dividend record date									Jul. 10, 2019
Class A Common Stock [Member] | Dividend Declared in Q2 2019 [Member]
Cash dividend [Abstract]
Date of Declaration by Board of Directors									Sep. 26, 2019
Common stock dividend (in dollars per share)						$ 0.34
Dividend paid date									Oct. 23, 2019
Dividend record date									Oct. 08, 2019
Class A Common Stock [Member] | Dividend Declared in Q3 2019 [Member]
Cash dividend [Abstract]
Date of Declaration by Board of Directors									Dec. 18, 2019
Common stock dividend (in dollars per share)				$ 0.34
Dividend paid date									Jan. 16, 2020
Dividend record date									Jan. 02, 2020
Class A Common Stock [Member] | Dividend Declared in Q4 2019 [Member]
Cash dividend [Abstract]
Date of Declaration by Board of Directors									Mar. 18, 2020
Common stock dividend (in dollars per share)		$ 0.34
Dividend paid date									Apr. 15, 2020
Dividend record date									Mar. 31, 2020
Class B Common [Member]
Share repurchases [Abstract]
Shares Repurchased (in shares)									2,281	0	0
Cash dividend [Abstract]
Common stock dividend (in dollars per share)									$ 1.36	$ 1.32	$ 1.28
Class B Common [Member] | Dividend Declared in Q1 2020 [Member]
Cash dividend [Abstract]
Date of Declaration by Board of Directors									Jun. 27, 2019
Common stock dividend (in dollars per share)								$ 0.34
Dividend paid date									Jul. 24, 2019
Dividend record date									Jul. 10, 2019
Class B Common [Member] | Dividend Declared in Q2 2019 [Member]
Cash dividend [Abstract]
Date of Declaration by Board of Directors									Sep. 26, 2019
Common stock dividend (in dollars per share)						$ 0.34
Dividend paid date									Oct. 23, 2019
Dividend record date									Oct. 08, 2019
Class B Common [Member] | Dividend Declared in Q3 2019 [Member]
Cash dividend [Abstract]
Date of Declaration by Board of Directors									Dec. 18, 2019
Common stock dividend (in dollars per share)				$ 0.34
Dividend paid date									Jan. 16, 2020
Dividend record date									Jan. 02, 2020
Class B Common [Member] | Dividend Declared in Q4 2019 [Member]
Cash dividend [Abstract]
Date of Declaration by Board of Directors									Mar. 18, 2020
Common stock dividend (in dollars per share)		$ 0.34
Dividend paid date									Apr. 15, 2020
Dividend record date									Mar. 31, 2020

X

- References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	jwa_CashDividendAbstract
Namespace Prefix:	jwa_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

X

- Definition

Aggregate dividends paid during the period for each share of common stock outstanding.

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 505
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.3-04)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=120397183&loc=d3e187085-122770

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_CommonStockDividendsPerShareCashPaid
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	num:perShareItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

X

- Definition

Date the declared dividend will be paid, in CCYY-MM-DD format.

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 230
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 3
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=121583591&loc=d3e4304-108586

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_DividendPayableDateToBePaidDayMonthAndYear
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:dateItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

X

- Definition

Date the dividend to be paid was declared, in CCYY-MM-DD format.

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 230
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 3
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=121583591&loc=d3e4304-108586

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_DividendsPayableDateDeclaredDayMonthAndYear
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:dateItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

X

- Definition

Date the holder must own the stock to be entitled to the dividend, in CCYY-MM-DD format.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_DividendsPayableDateOfRecordDayMonthAndYear
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:dateItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

X

- Definition

Amount of cash outflow in the form of ordinary dividends to common shareholders of the parent entity.

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 230
-SubTopic 10
-Section 45
-Paragraph 15
-Subparagraph (a)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=121586364&loc=d3e3291-108585

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_PaymentsOfDividendsCommonStock
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

X

- Definition

Number of shares that have been repurchased during the period and have not been retired and are not held in treasury. Some state laws may govern the circumstances under which an entity may acquire its own stock and prescribe the accounting treatment therefore. This element is used when state law does not recognize treasury stock.

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 505
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 2
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=109259400&loc=d3e21463-112644

Reference 2: 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(29))
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=120391452&loc=d3e13212-122682

Reference 3: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 505
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.3-04)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=120397183&loc=d3e187085-122770

Reference 4: 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(28))
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=120391452&loc=d3e13212-122682

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_StockRepurchasedDuringPeriodShares
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:sharesItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

X

- References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_StockTransactionsParentheticalDisclosuresAbstract
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

X

- Definition

Total cost of shares repurchased divided by the total number of shares repurchased.

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 505
-SubTopic 30
-Section 45
-Paragraph 1
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6405813&loc=d3e23239-112655

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_TreasuryStockAcquiredAverageCostPerShare
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	num:perShareItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

X

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_StatementClassOfStockAxis=us-gaap_CommonClassAMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

X

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_DividendsAxis=jwa_DividendDeclaredInCurrentYearQ1Member
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

X

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_DividendsAxis=jwa_DividendDeclaredInCurrentYearQ2Member
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

X

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_DividendsAxis=jwa_DividendDeclaredInCurrentYearQ3Member
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

X

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_DividendsAxis=jwa_DividendDeclaredInCurrentYearQ4Member
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

X

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_StatementClassOfStockAxis=us-gaap_CommonClassBMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type: