Students face new danger of falling behind

News on Tuesday that Gov. Ned Lamont has canceled in-person school for the rest of the academic year came as something of an anticlimax. Many other states have already taken this step, and few people expected that schools would reopen later this month, as had been officially scheduled. The worst of the coronavirus toll is far from over, and there is no reason to believe enough would change by May 20 to make opening schools safe.

Still, the momentousness of the decision shouldn’t be overlooked. When schools and businesses went on hiatus in mid-March, few could have imagined we’d be here in early May, and the fact that Lamont’s decision was received with shrugs in some quarters shows how much the world has changed in just a matter of weeks.

Questions now turn to summer, and what beleaguered parents can expect in terms of summer classes or camps. It could be there is no safe way to continue anything other than the current homeschooling regime, which would be an ongoing burden for thousands of people. Even if it’s too early to make those decisions, they are conversations the state needs to be having with the public so everyone can be prepared. Work also needs to be underway to prepare for the possibility that school may not start on schedule in the fall.

In the meantime, there’s an academic year to finish, and Lamont’s statement announcing the closing of schools touched on many of the challenges faced by Connecticut students. It will still be several weeks before the first round of laptops will be delivered via the Partnership for Connecticut, which is too late to make a major difference this academic year. It’s a worthy goal just the same, and more help in this area is needed.

Switching to homeschooling reinforced the striking differences between the wherewithal of various districts to maintain a level playing field. While some students in better-off towns went home in March with laptops, other students are trying to made do without reliable internet connections. The danger of falling behind — in some cases even further behind than they would otherwise be — is significant, and will be a source of ongoing concern.

Many schools continue to provide meals, which is a vital link for many families. That needs to continue, and resources need to be set aside to allow such services to continue during the summer if necessary. Hunger doesn’t stop with the end of the academic year.

As other states around the country start to reopen certain public accommodations, pressure has increased in Connecticut to do the same. Lamont, to his credit, is moving slowly and acting in accordance with public health experts. Closing schools has a major effect on the rest of the economy — without a place for children to go, it’s not as though adults could simply reenter the lives they put on hold back in March, even if they were comfortable doing so.

The end of this crisis, difficult and debilitating as it has been to date, is not yet in sight. Canceling school for the rest of the year is only the latest indication of that.

Closing schools has a major effect on the rest of the economy — without a place for children to go, it’s not as though adults could simply re-enter the lives they put on hold back in March.