The underlying current in this article and others recently posted on the topic is that a return to in-person schools will happen next year.

Districts and states need to be asking themselves: "What if that isn't possible?"

There's a lot we don't know about the virus. How long does immunity last? How long will it take to get a vaccine? What happens if multiple flare-ups occur as people rush back to work, parties, cruises, and the rest?

There's a growing sense that there's light at the end of the tunnel. That light was achieved by strict measures that are melting away at a blistering pace. Nobody knows what happens when you start loosening up.

One possibility is unavoidable: there are more active cases today by at least an order of magnitude than there were when the restrictions were put into place. Exponential growth hasn't been suspended just because people need to return to normal.

Officials interviewed in this story didn't indicate what will be happening after instruction ends for the year. It might be a good time to assess what worked and what didn't, then develop a plan and do teacher training for distance learning for Fall 2020.