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The beginning of school is only weeks away. School districts throughout Lebanon County have labored over pandemic policies for months. Writing, revising, and revising again, all the while hoping that they have succeeded in protecting our children from the dreaded coronavirus.
Our local school districts, like the rest of the nation, are tasked with the heavy responsibility of bridging between those that desperately want to return to pre-pandemic normalcy, claiming that returning to school will bring no meaningful losses, and those on the opposite end of the issue that believe no losses should be the only acceptable policy, thereby justifying they’re refusing to open our schools.
Recent upsurges in COVID-19 cases expose declaring that schools are safe from the coronavirus as a clear fantasy. All the while, it is getting more and more difficult to ignore the moral risk of putting our children, teachers, administrators, and other school employees in danger.
In a few short weeks the adult debate over school opening policy will be over and then we will be left to face the true reality as our children set off with backpacks in hand to face this deadly coronavirus.
Did we do enough to protect them? Will our children pay the price for our inability to put aside our differences and focus only on their safety? Will we regret not putting politics aside in our rush to send our children back to school?
Robert Griffiths is a former educator and a current educational consultant and Cornwall-Lebanon School District board member. He lives in South Lebanon.
Read previous columns from Robert Griffiths on returning to school
Read all of LebTown’s COVID-19 coverage here.
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