The one thing that could be standing between an economic recovery and another recession could be our decision to reopen schools.
Keeping schools closed for even longer could do more harm than good. It’s not just due to a potential setback in a student's development. Some estimate keeping schools closed across the county could cost our economy 700 billion dollars.
Harvey Kronberg, publisher of the Quorum Report, says many industries are tied directly to the school system.
“Schools are typically among the largest employers in any community. We think in terms of students and teachers, but all of the support personnel from the cafeteria to the bus drivers are being impacted,” Kronberg said.
However, some say there’s an even bigger drag on the economy: parents lost productive and wages.