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The pandemic years have taken a dramatic toll on the nation’s public schools, according to , affecting staffing, students鈥� behavior, attendance, nutrition, and mental health.

鈥淭here was a lot of disruption in actually providing quality instruction to students whether it is access to a teacher, a live teacher, or the mode of learning was chaotic and vacillating, and it ,鈥� said Commissioner Peggy Carr of the National Center for Education Statistics, an arm of the institute. 鈥淭his is an important way to understand the impact of the pandemic on our country.鈥� 

The School Pulse Panel is a series of surveys from January 2022 through May 2022 measuring COVID-19鈥檚 impact on public education. The surveys were sent to 800-850 public schools, with principals, administrators, superintendents, and staff responding. Here are some takeaways from IES鈥檚 School Pulse Panel:

1. COVID-19 negatively affected student鈥檚 development

A May 2022 survey found more than 80% of public schools reported 鈥渟tunted behavioral and socioemotional development鈥� in their students because of the COVID-19 pandemic,鈥� a 56% increase in 鈥渃lassroom disruptions from student misconduct,鈥� and a 49% increase in 鈥渞owdiness outside of the classroom.鈥� All schools surveyed reported a 55% increase in 鈥渟tudent tardiness.鈥� The use of cell phones, computers, or other electronics when not permitted for all schools increased by 42%.

2. Chronic teacher and student absenteeism has increased

Student and teacher absenteeism in the 2021-2022 school year increased in comparison to school years before the COVID-19 pandemic. In the 2021-2022 school year 61% of public schools also reported聽it is 鈥渕uch more difficult鈥� to find substitute teachers; and that

• 74% reported having 鈥渁dministrators cover classes.鈥� 
• 71% reported having 鈥渘on-teaching staff cover classes.鈥� 
• 68% reported having 鈥渙ther teachers cover classes during their prep periods.鈥�
• 51% reported 鈥渟eparate sections and classes鈥� combined into one room.鈥�

Carr said she had heard from colleagues in Boston and Florida school districts that because of staffing shortages, superintendents had to return to classrooms to teach 鈥渂ecause it was so bad. I had heard that, but to see it in a nationally representative sample of schools that prevalent, is sobering.鈥�

Carr also said COVID quarantines are a factor in student absenteeism. 鈥淚t is normal to have students out because of quarantine, so when we talk about student absenteeism, it鈥檚 not all just because a student is just out, sometimes it is that they鈥檝e been quarantined because of COVID,鈥� she said. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 part of the new normal.鈥�

3. There is a greater need for mental health services among students and staff.

70% of public schools reported that 鈥渢he percentage of students who have sought mental health services increased since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic;鈥� and that 34% of public school students seeking out mental health services more than others were 鈥渆conomically disadvantaged students.鈥� The second highest percentage (25%) of public schools who sought out mental health services more than others were special needs students (25%).

鈥淭he teachers are having a rough time鈥�too, is what these data are showing,鈥� Carr said. 29% of public schools reported that the 鈥渄egree to which staff have sought mental health services from the school since the start of COVID-19鈥� has increased. 鈥淭hey are overworked, they don’t have the staff there to help them, teachers are quitting. They are having to teach courses they have not taught before. All of these things culminate into an unhealthy work environment for the teachers,鈥� she said.

4. Public schools face barriers to getting students the mental health services they need.

Most public schools (61%) said a limitation was 鈥渋nsufficient mental health professional staff coverage to manage caseload,鈥� 57% of the schools said it was 鈥渋nadequate access to licensed mental health professionals,鈥� and 48% said 鈥渋nadequate funding.鈥�

鈥淎 licensed professional is expensive,鈥� Carr said. 鈥淭oo few professionals are available in these schools to actually provide those services and inadequate access to licensed professionals that can really provide the level of quality of services that they need.鈥�

5. Schools changed their calendars to support students and staff

Nearly one third of the schools 鈥� 28% 鈥� surveyed reported making changes to their 鈥渄aily or yearly academic calendar to mitigate potential mental health issues for students and staff.鈥� In early July, went into effect to make high school and middle classes start no earlier than 8:30am. , New York, and Massachusetts lawmakers have had similar discussions about making school start times later.

6. Most schools are in-person 

By May 2022, most schools 鈥� 99% 鈥� were offering full-time in-person instruction, a slight increase from January when it was 97%, the survey found. In January, 40% of all public schools also offered a full-time remote option, which decreased to 34% in February, 33% in March, April, and May, the survey found.

7. School Breakfast and Meal Programs faced challenges.

Nearly 40% of the schools that operate USDA school and breakfast meal programs, 鈥渞eported challenges obtaining enough food, beverages, and/or meal service supplies.鈥� The top three most reported reasons for these challenges were 鈥渓imited product availability,鈥� 鈥渟hipment delays,鈥� 鈥渙rders arriving with missing items, reduced quantities, or product substitutions.鈥�

鈥淚 think we are continuing to be surprised by the range of experiences that schools are having to deal with as a result of COVID. It hasn鈥檛 subsided,鈥� Carr said. 鈥淚t is not over yet is what I believe these data are saying.鈥�

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