Long-Term Public School Closures Had Devastating Consequences

It’s hard to see long-term public school closures as anything other than a terrible mistake that must not be repeated.

Photo by Ivan Aleksic on Unsplash.

As a society, we decided long ago that collectively educating the nation’s children would result in a happier, healthier, safer, and more prosperous future for all of us.

But from 2020–2022, in school districts all across America as nowhere else in the world, we broke that social contract with the nation’s youth by shuttering public schools.

Now, they are breaking the social contract with society.

The debate over whether prolonged public school closures during the COVID-19 pandemic constituted a mistake is intricate, demanding a nuanced analysis of public health, educational outcomes, and broader social impacts such as juvenile crime rates.

It is clear, however, that closures had multifaceted effects, with evidence indicating significant negative consequences, including potential increases in juvenile crime.

Impact on Juvenile Crime

Schools provide a structured environment that offers supervision, guidance, and engagement for children and teens.

Prolonged closures deprived many students of this crucial structure, particularly…