School districts across the country face a serious new pandemic dilemma. They know the damage to students' learning and socialization skills from having spent much of the past 18 months attending classes remotely. But the dangers posed by record new coronavirus infections make it harder to justify letting students continue mingling in classrooms and school hallways. Chicago teachers were so worried about the dangers, they staged a showdown with administrators on Wednesday, forcing days of canceled classes across the nation's third-largest school district.

There's got to be a reasonable middle ground. Vaccinations help reduce the severity of infection, but with the omicron variant, even fully vaccinated and boosted people are still testing positive. And though young people might escape the full brunt of coronavirus symptoms, teachers, bus drivers, janitors, parents and grandparents might not be so lucky. Which is why these are truly cringeworthy times for the adults grappling with the school conundrum.

One thing has proven consistently effective in limiting the spread of disease. Whether it's a surgeon in an operating room or students in a classroom, properly worn masks help prevent infected people from unwittingly transmitting their illness to others. Masks are inconvenient and uncomfortable, but they are essential survival tools in this pandemic.

Missouri parents and educators are no different from those in other states about the desire to keep kids in physical classrooms. But this state has its own special problem: Attorney General Eric Schmitt. He seems bound and determined to haul into court any public officials who impose a mask mandate, including school districts. Like a true friend of the virus, his behavior suggests he puts a lower value on protecting human life than he does on placating his right-wing base.

Schmitt is among the top reasons why Missouri schools can't find a way to avoid returning to remote learning. And when parents once again have to quit their jobs or find workarounds to ensure their kids aren't left alone at home, they will have Schmitt to thank.

There is one solution that few have dared to try: Open, united defiance. Although Schmitt claims to have a single court verdict as the basis for his dictatorial threats, the actual ruling doesn't give him the authority he claims to prevent elected bodies from imposing mask mandates. The St. Louis County Council decided on Tuesday to defy Schmitt's threats and proceed with what most members know to be the proper response. The Kirkwood School District, having previously buckled under Schmitt's lawsuit threats, reversed itself on Dec. 29 and reimposed a mask mandate for students.

There's no such thing as an easy or quick solution to the conundrum facing schools. But getting rid of impediments to solutions is a good way to make progress. The best way to make a bully like Schmitt stand down is to stand up to him.

REPRINTED FROM THE ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH

Photo credit: Alexandra_Koch at Pixabay