Parents delaying preschool, kindergarten amid pandemic
MISSION, Kan. — Claire Reagan was feeling overwhelmed as her oldest child’s first day of kindergarten approached and with a baby on the way. The 5-year-old boy has autism, and she worried he would struggle with juggling inperson and virtual learning and that she wouldn’t have enough time to give him the help he needs.
So she decided to wait a year before sending him to school.
“I was stressed about everything and then thought ‘Why does he need to start kindergarten?’ Anditwas like aweightwas lifted,” said Reagan, a 36-year-old high school teacher in the Kansas City suburb of Olathe, Kan.
Thousands of parents have made similar decisions. The optouts, combined with huge declines in preschool enrollment, are raisingworries about the longterm effects of so much lost early education.
“If there is a group for which you would be particularly concerned, it is these very young students who are not having these foundational experiences,” said Nate Schwartz, a professor at the Annenberg Institute for School Reform at Brown University.
Kindergarten isn’t required in most states. But enrollment numbers have plunged in many places this fall as parents weigh health concerns and the prospect of helping young children to navigate distance learning while also holding onto their jobs.
In Los Angeles’ public schools, kindergarten enrollment is down about 6,000 students, or 14 percent. In Nashville, Tenn., public kindergarten enrollment is down about 1,800 students, or 37 percent, from last year.
According to a University of Oregon survey conducted in early September with 1,000 parents, including 242 with a child who was supposed to start kindergarten this fall, 17 percent said they were delaying their children’s schooling. Among those, the most frequent reason citedwas safety concerns, followed by concerns about managing virtual schooling and other responsibilities, according to Philip Fisher, a psychology professor at the university.
Fisher said the vast majority of parents reported that they were making sure their kids were attending all of their virtual lessons and completing their coursework without the assistance of hired help or other adults, making juggling their own work a challenge. He said that parents are overwhelmed, particularly those in low-income communities.
“We think young kids are likely getting lost in the shuffle,” he said.