The pandemic has permanently altered K-12 education, leaving long-term consequences that are still felt today by students, teachers, administrators and parents. Many experts are concerned that these challenges will persist for years to come.

Today, students—both locally and across the country—are still struggling to catch up. The latest scores from the Nation's Report Card reveal that fourth and eighth-grade students are still performing below pre-pandemic levels in both reading and math. Additionally, schools continue to face challenges such as chronic absenteeism and social-emotional issues.