The political battle over the pandemic has come to the classroom

As the delta variant of the novel coronavirus rages across the country and schools begin to reopen, the political fight over the pandemic has come to the classroom.

Republican efforts to outlaw mask mandates are facing new pressure from school districts, health officials and even the White House, but most Republican governors aren’t changing course, even as infections skyrocket among the unvaccinated. Meanwhile, Democratic governors who’ve pushed masking are seeing their own blowback.

It’s a showdown that comes with both public health and political costs, which could factor into the...