Students across Sonoma County are all feeling the strain of the last 5 months of online school, along with the unpredictability that came with the Kincade and Glass fires. 

A recent study, published in the Press Democrat, found that nearly 4 in 10 high school students in Sonoma County have one or more failing grades and more than 7 in 10 say they feel deep anxiety about the future. This finding prompted educators across the county to hold an unprecedented meeting this past Tuesday to find the root of the problem and correct it. They hope to do so before the graduation prospects of thousands of students are endangered.

“Data from the county’s 10 public high school districts revealed that 37% of students have one or more failing grades, up from 27% this time last year. Among freshmen, the rates have spiked from 27% a year ago to 40% this year. Failing grades among sophomores have climbed from 31% a year ago to 40% currently; among juniors it was 27% last fall and 37% today; and 31% of seniors have at least one F, up from 23% a year ago,” reported the Press Democrat. 

The transition to online school in itself was strenuous, as students struggled to find a balance between distanced class, homework, and home life. For many, the notion of doing online class in the confines of their home was, and has been, arduous. Due to multiple factors, Sonoma County has seen a steady decline in the grades of local high school students. 

For many students, the time that they have spent at home has also been used to assume responsibilities in their parent’s absence, such as babysitting younger siblings and helping them with their schoolwork at home. This new responsibility, in tandem with the recent fires, has left students grappling with how to properly divide their time. 

Fiona Affronti, a senior at Healdsburg High School, stated in an article for the Press Democrat, “What’s the point? Why does this matter in the grand scheme of things when my house may not be here tomorrow, when my grandma is now at risk because she has to go to the Petaluma Fairgrounds or something to evacuate and you can’t keep 6 feet of distance there.”

Online learning has proved to be a demanding way to learn for many, specifically for the Latinx population in Sonoma County. In an article for the Press Democrat, Kerry Benefield quotes Windsor Unified Superintendent Jeremy Decker, “Our Latinx community is seeming to be significantly more impacted than other students, so that is obviously concerning.” 

The article also specifies that “…more than 70% of the more than 4,500 local high school students who answered reported that ‘feeling anxious about the future’ was the No. 1 impediment.”

Many teachers have spent their time, not only teaching, but also offering some form or another of emotional support to students during these difficult times. “A lot of my office hour time is a lot of talking to them and checking with them emotionally as much as it is with helping them with math,” states Montgomery High School teacher, Jim LaFrance for the Press Democrat. 

The schools across Sonoma County have tried their best to make accommodations for students, so that their workload can be lightened. The article states that many have taken to switching class days, so that students don’t have to sit through six consecutive classes every day. Instead, they have three a day, and switch throughout the week. 

There is no telling just how much longer students will have to endure online learning, but until the day things return to normal, students and teachers alike will have to do their best at adapting and relying on each other for support throughout these continued unprecedented times.