Elissa Nadworny
/ NPR
Almost exactly one year ago, the pandemic caused a cascade of school and university closures, sending 9 out of 10 students home as the coronavirus raced through the United States and the rest of the world.
By Labor Day, 62% of U.S. students were still learning virtually, according to the organization Burbio. That number dropped significantly during the fall and rose in the winter as COVID-19 surged. And today, just under 1 in 4 public school students attends a district that still hasn't held a single day of in-person learning.
Colleges have seen widespread disruption, too: In the fall, only about 20% of four-year colleges offered any classes in person. And while that number has come up a bit for the spring semester, most college students — even if they live on campus — are taking classes virtually.