The first week back to school from Christmas break went smoothly, considering surging cases in the community and the recent quarantine guideline changes. I have heard from some parents concerned about sending children to school, and some of my students also express fears of getting sick. However, most students and faculty that I have spoken with prefer in-person learning and believe we can do it safely.

The operative word is can. Schools should be equipped with tests to ensure immediate diagnosis, and contingency plans must be discussed and transparent.

Students need the socialization and academic rigor that only in-person learning can provide. Research from national studies and local surveys conducted over the last 18 months have shown that during the periods of remote and hybrid teaching, not only did the intellectual rigor of our keiki suffer but — and perhaps more significantly over the long term — mental health declined.

We feel those effects in the classroom every day. Anecdotally, my students are more anxious, more reticent, less willing to take risks, and more introverted than they have been in previous years. It impacts everything from student voice and creativity, to motivation and participation in sports.

The world waited eagerly for a vaccine for two years; our common goal was to have the armor we needed against this virus to keep schools and businesses open. Now that we have the vaccine and the majority of our local community has received it, we should keep schools open for as long as safe and reasonable. We should certainly keep schools open as long as businesses stay open — and we should prioritize our local community and young learners equally with other important endeavors, such as tourism.

Given new Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines and omicron data, everyone with an outdated second dose should get a booster.

That being said, if we find ourselves in a place where COVID-19 is spreading rapidly in schools and vaccinated students are being hospitalized, we need to respond immediately.

It would relieve parents and educators immensely if contingency plans were transparent and accessible — the two issues that caused discord during the 2020-2021 academic year.

Also, inviting stakeholders to be part of the decision-making process when possible (i.e., when data alone does not drive decisions) goes a long way toward ensuring buy-in from the community.

Hawaii public school teachers are currently required to follow strict guidelines; if a student coughs, complains of a headache, blows their nose, or displays any of the 11 symptoms of COVID, they are immediately sent to the school nurse. This policy helps keep us all safe. But it doesn’t work if it’s not coupled with free and readily available testing.

My niece attends Santa Ynez Valley High in California, whose school nurse has tests available for students. When teachers at that school send students to the nurse, they are tested. This policy allows the COVID-19 response for students, parents and the school to be immediate.

Public schools in California have determined that tests are not a violation of privacy. They should be available here as well. Increased testing and the easier availability of testing would alleviate some of the concerns in our community.

Schools should stay open for as long as possible with testing available. There is much we can still do as a state and nation to keep our communities and keiki safe, healthy and educated.

Brooke Nasser is an English and news-writing teacher at Kalani High School; she also is a freelance filmmaker and journalist.