The lawmakers go on to point out in the letter that there are currently nearly ten million fewer jobs in the U.S. than before the pandemic, and that case numbers and hospitalizations continue to drop countrywide. “By allowing our nation’s schools to remain shuttered, you are depriving these children of the people and support systems they depend on,” the lawmakers wrote. “In addition to the impact of the youth mental health crisis, school closures are increasing education inequality in the United States.” Santa Clarita has made its first steps in an attempt to reopen schools, beginning with the Castaic Union School District (CUSD), which voted to reopen their in-person classes after both state and county health orders allowed it Thursday.