All the ways the coronavirus will make this school year harder than the last, even if campuses reopen

School communities desperate for normalcy are hoping that the new school year will be more stable than the last, when the coronavirus forced schools to close and launch remote learning overnight. But that seems like wishful thinking, as 2020-2021 is shaping up to be even more problematic.

School districts are embarking on novel experiments in learning, unveiling plans to reopen with new procedures for just about everything. But none of them are set in stone because the unknowns about how things will work far outweigh the knowns.

That heralds confusion and potentially repeated learning disruptions that could harm children, especially the most vulnerable, who are already suffering from the loss of learning and special education services.

District leaders are under pressure from many parents to reopen school buildings, especially for students in vulnerable populations and those who have special needs but did not receive mandated services this past spring. The American Academy of Pediatrics says that it “strongly advocates that all policy considerations for the coming school year should start with a goal of having students physically present in school.”

But they are caught between what people want to happen and some of the realities on the ground, which often conflict. For many students, school is a place of stability and safety, and there is a strong imperative to get them back into school buildings. But safety issues still loom large for everyone.