The Deeper Dig
Students and the Omicron surge
Students are back in school for their third week of the new year. Or at least, some of them are. The Omicron variant has caused a massive spike in Covid-19 cases and a massive spike in absences among students, teachers and school staff. As a result, dozens of schools across the state have already canceled classes for at least a day this month, and some for longer stretches.
State officials have prioritized keeping schools open during the current surge, citing the drawbacks of remote learning. But with this many people impacted by Covid, how much schooling is actually happening right now?