Here’s how much school closures will cost parents in lost wages, reduce GDP — and negatively impact the nation’s education system

For America’s schoolchildren, their parents and their teachers, this fall will be unlike any other.

Over the past few weeks, prominent public-school systems all over the country have announced that they’ll be starting school remotely. Others have pressed forward with plans for in-person instruction amid pressure from the federal government to reopen.

It’s a weighty decision for officials with implications for students’ mental health, parents’ careers and public health and safety — particularly for teachers and others who work in schools.

President Trump has repeatedly said he...