It’s hard to think of a more bittersweet moment than when you send a kid off to kindergarten for the first time.

Thousands of parents around the U.S. have made similar decisions, having their children delay or skip kindergarten because of the coronavirus pandemic. In Los Angeles' public schools, kindergarten enrollment is down about 6,000 students, or 14%. In Nashville, Tennessee, public kindergarten enrollment is down about 1,800 students, or 37%, from last year. For many young students, the delayed start of primary school follows a disrupted preschool experience. Its advice was to prioritize the reopening of schools for children in kindergarten through fifth grade with well-funded safety measures in place.

It’s hard to think of a more bittersweet moment than when you send a kid off to kindergarten for the first time.