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Graciela Leahy, 13, an eighth grader at Ohio's Columbus Gifted Academy, works on her computer in her bedroom, in Columbus, Ohio, in February to begin a stretch of nearly six straight hours at her desk. A year later in the pandemic, the unplanned experiment with distance learning continues for thousands of students like Leahy who have yet to set foot back in classrooms.
Jay LaPrete I AP
Angelina Mistretta, a 16-year-old junior at City Honors High School, shares the couch with her mother Wendy Mistretta, in Buffalo, N.Y., in February. Angelina Mistretta spins fidget toys as lessons stream through headphones, keeping her hands busy in hopes her mind will engage, too.Â