When counties closed public and private schools in March, everyone understood why. The threat of the coronavirus was too great because we knew too little about it, and no one wanted to put children or teachers needlessly in harm’s way. Now, however, we have the benefit of experience, and this experience confirms that another round of school closures would do far more harm than good.

Everyone knows by now that distance learning does not work. Academic achievement has been abysmal, attendance continues to drop, and many students are reporting struggles with mental health due to prolonged social isolation. Each of these trends has been confirmed by several studies, many of which were conducted by the school districts themselves.