ABOUT REOPENING SCHOOLS

From day one, I committed to let the science, facts and data drive South Dakota’s response to COVID-19. Though there has been much handwringing these last several weeks, when it comes to schools, the science is clear: We need to open them. Let’s walk through the facts together.

First, when it comes to children, the virus doesn’t impact them even on the same level as the flu. A JAMA Pediatrics report states, “Our data indicate that children are at far greater risk of critical illness from influenza than from COVID-19.” The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) reports, “SARS-CoV-2 appears to behave differently in children and adolescents than other common respiratory viruses, such as influenza, on which much of the current guidance regarding school closures is based.” …

Second, we know that it is extremely harmful to kids to keep schools closed. We know that children thrive on routine and being in supportive, social environments. We know that the loss of human connections for many of these kids is driving increases in stress, anxiety and depression. We know this to be true most especially for our most vulnerable students. …

A similarly critical point is that long-distance learning may have gotten us through the initial crisis, but it is not a long-term solution. … In South Dakota, one of our largest school districts self-reported that they lost contact with as many as 30% of students when we went online. Think about that: Some schools in our state haven’t heard from as many as a third of their kids since March. That cannot continue. Those kids are likely to fall behind, with lifelong consequences to their career opportunities and family life.

South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem, The Federalist