Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan did the right thing Monday when he barred local bureaucrats from imposing blanket school closures on their communities due to the risk of coronavirus transmission. He was reacting specifically to a Friday decision by health officials in Montgomery County, a wealthy, liberal suburb of Washington, D.C., to prevent all private schools from holding in-person instruction until at least Oct. 1.
Local schools and school systems in Maryland still have the authority to make reasoned decisions about when to reopen based on the disease. But it is quite another thing for the government to block private and parochial schools from reopening, especially when those schools have been willing to bend over backward in order to comply with federal and state guidelines for preventing transmission of the virus.
The Washington Examiner’s Tim Carney, a Montgomery County father, observed yesterday that many private and parochial schools were going the distance to ensure safety. Some of these schools installed plexiglass and replaced air filtration systems. They scrupulously developed plans for mask-wearing, temperature checks, enhanced school cleanings, half-days, and social distancing that would allow for in-person instruction with minimal risk.
All the while, these schools sought feedback from county officials. But those officials simply did not care or pay attention, instead ordering last week’s blanket closure of all schools through an arbitrary date.
Health officials will still retain the power to close schools in the event of outbreaks. But Hogan was right in arguing that “private and parochial schools deserve the same opportunity and flexibility to make reopening decisions based on public health guidelines.”
The bottom line is that families must not be subjected to arbitrary measures, even if they are being taken out of an abundance of caution or with good intentions.
There are two further considerations here. The first is the lack of evidence that children spread or transmit the coronavirus. The second is the American Academy of Pediatrics robust recommendation that in-person instruction resume at schools.
“Schools are fundamental to child and adolescent development and well-being,” the organization’s statement said. They “provide our children and adolescents with academic instruction, social and emotional skills, safety, reliable nutrition, physical/speech and mental health therapy, and opportunities for physical activity, among other benefits.”
The typical school without in-person instruction is inherently limited in what it can do for children. Online learning surely has some place in education, but most parents are finding it to be inferior. Meanwhile, at-home schooling is especially devastating for poor families and for parents who are essential workers. Many children from low-income families depend on schools for meals and other services beyond education. And for parents who cannot work from home, child care is not only expensive, but it is also counterproductive in terms of public health. After all, day care is just as likely to spread a virus as school attendance, only without the learning.
The coronavirus is not going anywhere soon. Even if a vaccine is developed, it will not likely vanish all at once. Childhood, however, is fleeting, and children’s education cannot be put off. Nor can in-person instruction be replaced by an inferior online version of education.
If private and parochial schools want to do their part and put in the effort to make in-person school as safe as possible, they should be permitted to operate. Perhaps those public school systems that are not already planning to open will be inspired to follow suit. As the new school year approaches, some form of this drama will be repeating itself in nearly every city and state. Hogan has set the right example here, and all other governors and responsible municipal officials should follow it.
