Although most people are looking to move on after the coronavirus pandemic, some young people in the state might have an opportunity for a do-over.

Gov. Tom Wolf signed Act 66 into law to give students who were enrolled in school during the 2020-2021 school year the option to repeat their grade level.

The bill’s intention is to help students make up for any lost education opportunities during the pandemic, regardless of whether they met the requirements to move on to the next grade level.

Eligibility is available for students in school districts, intermediate units, career and technical education centers, charter schools, cyberschools, nonpublic schools, approved private schools and chartered schools for the deaf and blind.

Repeating a grade is not something most students or their parents take lightly, especially if a student isn’t required to do so. However, the past 12 months of COVID-19 shutdowns were far from the typical year. Students switched back and forth between sitting in classrooms and remote learning, while annual events that are taken for granted — prom and graduation ceremonies — were delayed, held with social distancing rules in effect or canceled.

So, the concept of repeating a grade, even if it isn’t necessary, could be a smart choice for some students. Not only will they get a more full school experience by making up for activities they missed out on during the pandemic, but they will also get the chance to make up for lost learning.

While educators say it’s difficult to measure how much learning was lost during COVID-19, the situation for students in the 2020-2021 school year was far from ideal.

While we have no doubt that teachers across the county did their best with remote learning, it simply wasn’t the same as teaching students in a classroom. It’s not difficult to imagine that at least some students didn’t fare as well from home as they might have at school.

If repeating a grade will strengthen their education and make them more prepared for their future, the decision will have been worth it.

The state Legislature unanimously supported the bill, and Wolf signed it in late June. It’s good that everyone was, for once, on the same page — and for a good cause.

Those interested in re-enrolling their child in their 2020-2021 grade level must submit a Student Grade Level Retainment Notification Form to their school district before July 15.

We hope those who get a second chance on the school year make the most of it.

— NCD