Confusion reigns as school reopening plans meet with pushback and revisions, leaving parents, teachers, and kids, too, anxious and uneasy about September, so here some food for thought from experts who’ve collected and studied the most current data…

KNOW THAT, ACCORDING TO THE U.S. CENSUS BUREAU:

• Some 51 million kids attend public K-12 schools; another 6 million or so go to private K-12 schools.
• Pre-COVID-19, about 8 million were employed by these schools.

KNOW THAT, ACCORDING TO THE U.S. CENSUS BUREAU:

• The total expenditures for K-12 schools in fiscal 2018 was $721 billion, more than even the U.S. Defense Department’s $671 billion budget.
• The White House lacks school reopening decision-making power; just 8% of K-12 public school funding comes from the federal government. The rest is evenly divided between state and local governments.

KNOW THAT, AS OF JULY 23rd & ACCORDING TO THE CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL ASSOCIATION & AMERICAN ACADEMY OF PEDIATRICS:

• 288,287 total child COVID-19 cases had been reported, 8.4% of the 3,416,630 total number of cases.
• The overall rate: 380 child COVID-19 cases per 100,000 in the general population.
• 88,103 new child COVID-19 cases were reported from July 9 to July 23, a 44% increase.
• Children were 0.8% to 2.9% of all the COVID-19 hospitalized cases.
• Children were 0% to 0.8% of all COVID-19 deaths.
• 20 states have reported NO child deaths.

KNOW THIS, TOO:

• In a typical year, 190 children die from the flu; AND
• Typically, 436 die from suicide, 625 from homicides, and 4,114 unintentionally from drownings and the like.
• So far in this pandemic, fewer children have died so far than from each of the last five flu seasons.

So, given these facts and figures, should schools open up—lots of safety precautions in place–go all remote like such cities as Los Angeles and Philadelphia, or go hybrid with a bit of both?

With thanks and well wishes, Carol