Opinion: It’s time to acknowledge reality. Many schools will likely have to close because of omicron.

...But our desire to keep kids in classrooms should always be tempered by a keen situational awareness of the ever-changing coronavirus pandemic. As the omicron variant rages across the country, we must prepare for the possibility that some schools may have to close. This isn’t a political statement; it’s a simple reality.

Omicron has rewritten the pandemic rule book regarding transmission and immunity. Unlike the series of rolling geographic surges that accompanied previous variants, omicron represents a viral blizzard of widespread infections spanning the entire country. For the next three to five weeks, the sheer number of cases will pose significant challenges to U.S. health-care systems, public safety operations, critical infrastructure capacities, food distribution and services, and educational programs. Each could temporarily lose 25 to 40 percent of their workforce because of isolation and quarantine...

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2022/01/12/its-time-acknowledge-reality-many-schools-will-likely-have-close-because-omicron/