LAS VEGAS, NV (KXNT) - As the fall school semester gets into full swing, students across the U.S. are having vastly different educational experiences due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Some students are having all schooling in person, others are doing all their learning online, and others are experiencing a hybrid of the two. An extended lack of in-person schooling can lead to issues such as decreases in academic progress (especially in low-income districts), damage to mental health and social development, and less physical activity among students, according to the CDC.
In order to determine which states are the safest for reopening schools, the financial website WalletHub compared the 50 states across 15 key metrics, including such things as the number of child COVID-19 cases per 100,000 children, the average public-school class size, and the ratio of students to school nurses.
Nevada doesn't fare well in the study, ranking 46th out of 50 states.
Hurting the Silver State's ranking was a last place finish in the "Most COVID-19 Deaths per 100,000 Children" category, a 3rd from the bottom ranking in the category of "Risk of COVID-19 Infections", and a 4th from the bottom score in "Highest Teacher-Pupil Ratio".
Only Arizona, Arkansas, South Carolina and Mississippi placed below Nevada in the survey.
The Top 5 "safest" states, according to WalletHub: Vermont, Maine, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts and New Hampshire.
For a look at the full study, click here.