Just as there appears to be no one answer on how to open businesses safely in the pandemic, so there seems to be no single path toward reopening colleges and schools. A K-12 school district in one state may go ahead with an all-virtual start to the year, while another two miles away may have announced a hybrid learning plan. Still other schools near and far may push ahead with in-person instruction. Local guidance, changing state restrictions and demands from teachers unions create a patchwork of shifting reopening plans and capabilities across the country.
Meanwhile, overseas, in places such as the United Kingdom, many children were expected to start school in-person on time, subject to policies around small group or class bubbles. And in some countries outdoor classrooms are being built, reminiscent of the ferry classrooms that were parked under the Brooklyn Bridge during the Spanish Flu of 1918. However, here in the U.S. in 2020 outdoor classrooms are a non-starter in many communities concerned about active-shooter risks. Never has going back to school felt so dangerous.
At the college level, the varied and changing situation on reopening is even more apparent. Some colleges have reopened only to reverse course. Take the University of North Carolina’s Chapel Hill campus, which started on-campus classes only to close after more than 100 students had tested positive for COVID-19. Other higher education institutions have to wrestle with similar difficult decisions. In August, hundreds of colleges had reversed or adjusted reopening plans amid rising concerns over possible transmission of the virus among students and staff. This fluid situation calls for risk managers to be flexible and nimble in their preparation and response, as Business Insurance’s coverage in this issue reports.
Federal health guidelines and the need to meet public health requirements — masks, temperature-taking, testing, contact tracing, social distancing, cleaning, air filtration — also complicate the decision-making for governors, school officials, students, teachers and parents. Aging school buildings and infrastructure, staff shortages and stretched financial resources add another layer of complexity. Administrators are balancing the delicate needs of staff who may be in high-risk categories and young adults and children for whom education is essential.
As the situation evolves, risk management and insurance challenges inevitably will follow. Schools, already facing rising insurance prices and tighter terms and conditions, are now dealing with a host of new exposures related to COVID-19. A lack of pandemic scenario planning and response is unlikely to be viewed favorably by insurers. Then there’s the mounting litigation risk. Schools and colleges could face significant liability for failing to provide adequate services in a safe and healthy environment. Employment practices liability, directors and officers, and workers compensation insurance policies could all be called upon to respond.
The American Academy of Pediatrics in July issued a statement saying: “Returning to school is important for the healthy development and well-being of children, but we must pursue re-opening in a way that is safe for all students, teachers and staff.”
Science should drive decision-making on safely reopening schools, the AAP said.
Across municipalities with differing rates of transmission for COVID-19, and without a vaccine in place, it’s clear there won’t be one right approach on how and whether to reopen schools. But without an end in sight to pandemic learning the mental stress on students and teachers is likely to be another crisis of this virus.
