Since 2011, the four-year high school graduation rate rose from 79% to 85% (2018 latest statistic). There is concern that because of the Covid-19 virus, the closing of schools and the major economic crisis, that students will not be returning to schools. The Huffington Post reported that experts from the America’s Promise Alliance, GradNation, and the director of the Everyone Graduates Center believe that many students who have missed school since March 2020 will have a difficult time adjusting and returning to classrooms.
Some students obtained jobs during the break, while others have had difficulty adjusting to distance learning, or have had to help support their parents who may have lost their jobs. Many have had to take care of younger siblings so that parents can go to work in lieu of stable childcare. Many students are missing important credits making it impossible for them to graduate on time.