Living in a rural area of Oregon, my partner and I were not surprised when our kids’ small charter school announced plans to reopen following Governor Kate Brown’s directive in late December, which allowed districts to determine their own timelines for returning to in-person learning. However, the thought of sending our children back to school weighed heavily on us.
With my partner working at the school as a gardening instructor and teaching assistant, we had a good sense of the administration’s eagerness to get students back in the classroom, despite the alarming rise in COVID-19 cases. At that time, we were witnessing some of the highest death tolls we had seen, with nearly 4,000 deaths recorded in a single day. The situation across the country, including in Oregon, was dire. Although vaccines were being rolled out, the process was sluggish, and it would be months before we began to see a significant impact. Discussions surrounding prioritizing teachers for vaccination were ongoing but lacked a clear timeline. Meanwhile, our hospitals were overwhelmed with COVID-19 patients, largely due to families letting their guard down over the holidays.
Despite over 350,000 COVID-19-related deaths in the US, misinformation lingered in our community, with some still treating the virus as if it were merely the flu. These realities made our decision about sending our children back to school even more difficult, especially given that my partner is now at high risk for severe COVID-19 complications.
In the early days of the pandemic, she was relatively healthy. While our older kids attended virtual classes, she continued to teach in person. Our first grader was allowed to attend school, which at the time felt safe. However, everything changed when my partner was hospitalized in late October due to a severe pneumonia that escalated into septic shock. She spent three weeks in the hospital, including three days in the ICU, a time that brought our family to the brink of tragedy. Thankfully, she recovered, but her health was now compromised.
Since her release, her doctor has advised us to avoid exposure, prompting us to make the tough choice to keep our children home now that the school is reopening. As a family with a high-risk member, we suddenly found ourselves in a category that the restrictions were designed to protect. By that point, the school had shifted to entirely remote learning, even for the younger grades, which, while challenging, allowed us to feel safe and together.
Now, as we face the decision of whether to send our kids back to school, we hear similar stories from other families struggling with the same dilemma. Some have elderly relatives at home, while others fear the implications of exposure. Many teachers are apprehensive about returning to the classroom as well, concerned about bringing the virus back to their own households.
There’s a part of me that longs for the return to normalcy, for my kids to be back in school, and for me to return to the office. After nearly a year of living in isolation, it’s hard not to wish for things to go back to the way they were. But no amount of longing can justify risking my partner’s life or the well-being of our community. I believe that the decision to reopen schools at this time is premature.
Despite the school’s reopening, we have chosen to keep our children home. The school will provide homework packets, and my partner will manage her grading and work from home. I will continue working remotely as well. Though we will be navigating this process with minimal guidance from teachers, we believe it is the right choice for our family.
I know we are not alone in this tough decision, and I want to extend my solidarity to other families facing similar challenges. If you’re in the same boat, know that you have support.
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Summary:
This article reflects the difficult decision faced by a family in rural Oregon regarding whether to send their children back to school as COVID-19 rates rise. The family’s choice is influenced by the mother’s high-risk health status after a serious illness, ultimately leading them to prioritize safety over returning to normalcy. They navigate remote learning while expressing solidarity with others in similar situations.