On Monday, Gov. Laura Kelly ordered schools to stay closed until Sept. 9. On Wednesday, the Kansas State Board of Education rejected the order, leaving decisions in the hands of school districts. We don’t envy the job now of our local school boards and our district superintendents who must now decide what to do next. 

It’s a tough job to weigh the pros and cons of opening school in the midst of a pandemic. On the one hand, there’s the risk of infection to students (and by extension their families) and staff (and by extension their families as well). On the other hand, there are the long term consequences our students face of going without instruction, of going without regular meals, of going without relationships built with peers and trusted adults. For some, those consequences may be more severe than for others. 

For the families of students, there’s the question of how to juggle parenting with employment when young kids are home from school. Not everyone can work from home and meet via ZOOM, and not every employer can be or wants to be accommodating to workers who have no one to leave young children with and have to choose between bringing them with or not working. 

A recent study from the The Washington State Department of Health, University of Washington and START Center looked at practices schools from different countries around the world are using to slow the spread of COVID-19, and the resulting impact on transmission in those countries. It’s eye opening how a few simple changes seem to affect the outcomes. 

Of the countries listed that reported “no significant increase in the growth rate of COVID-19 cases,” which include Denmark and Norway, the practices they’ve implemented include: younger students only (K-4), reduced class size, physical distancing, and increased hand washing. Denmark’s maximum class size is 12, and Norway’s is 15. Neither country is requiring face masks for students or teachers. This is not to say masks aren’t useful amongst adults and older students, we must add (our best guess is perhaps height has something to do with it? Not sure, just guessing). 

Others ranged from “increased transmission among students, but not school staff” in Germany, “outbreaks observed in multiple schools” in Israel, and Sweden’s “relatively high rate in children suggests there may have been a significant spread in schools.” There are also a slew of “unknowns.” Differing combinations of practices are being used. In the case of Sweden, none are being used, and the country is striving for herd immunity apparently. Nowhere is there a clear solution. 

Sure, school boards and superintendents aren’t required to solve every problem a student or their family might potentially face when they make decisions that face us all. They aren’t going to be able to please everyone any of the time. 

Those of us on the sidelines, the parents and grandparents, the teachers, the students, the employers, we have only a few things to do. First, share with out school board representatives what we need from them. Second, be part of the solution, rather than part of the problem. All of us may not agree with every decision, but since none of us have been given divine insight, we need to accept that the best interests of our children are top of mind as the minds of school boards and administrations as they put plans into motion. The often repeated statement may seem tired now, but it’s still true. We’re (still) all in this together.