This year has been absolutely wild. Coronavirus has impacted the lives of so many people; it has shaped our lives today. One of the more prominent things that COVID-19 has affected is school.

During the beginning of COVID-19, there were seniors missing their graduation, and there were freshmen not being able to finish out their first year of high school. While this was sad, we assumed it would get better before the beginning of this school year. We thought it would be gone and we would be able to carry on as we were before.

Miss Rona stuck around.

This year, there were freshmen not being able to start their years normally, there were kindergarteners who weren’t able to start off school. Things have started to get a bit better, when talking about the number of people who contract COVID-19 and have been vaccinated.. Schools have started to open back up, which will begin to give our daily lives a little more normalcy.

The Kern High School District has opened their schools back up, starting with the Senior class on Monday, April 12. According to KERO ABC 23, there have been 169 reported new cases of coronavirus in Kern County from April 10 to April 11, 2021. Compared to December 17, which had 1,120 new cases that day (according to the New York Times), it is a significantly lower number. Actually having COVID-19 means something different now, aswell, depending on whether or not you have the vaccine. If you have a vaccine, the symptoms of COVID-19 won’t really affect you, and you probably won’t get sick. However, you could still transmit the virus to other people.

Now that Kern County is in the Red Tier, people are feeling better about going back to school. If you are struggling with deciding whether you should or not, here are some pros and cons laid out to help you make your decision.

PROS:

1. Making new friends. So far, there hasn’t really been a way for students to get to know each other, being virtual. Going back to school in person can help people find friends in their classes and feel less lonely.
2. A school environment. Doing school work from home can seem pointless and exhausting, but being in school makes it feel more normal. School provides the motivation to do work and get good grades.

CONS:

1. Contraction of COVID-19. One of the biggest cons about going back to school is getting Coronavirus. As a teenager, that doesn’t prove to be a real life-threatening risk. There is the threat, however, of spreading the virus to other people.
2. Home life. This pandemic has offered some relief to parents who have multiple jobs. Having older children who might be able to care for younger siblings could be really helpful for those parents, because it would mean that they don’t have to worry about watching their kids.

The pros and cons can look different for everyone, depending on people’s personal prioritizations. Going back to school will mean many things for everyone, and the choice ultimately depends on what you are comfortable with and what makes the most sense for your family.