A similar story has unfolded in Los Angeles, Chicago and at more public schools across the nation.
NPR education reporter Cory Turner looked into why students are still not coming back to school and what schools are trying to do about it.
Meanwhile, some of the students not enrolled in public school have started being homeschooled during the pandemic. WBHM education reporter Kyra Miles spoke to Black families in Alabama who are choosing that option in increasing numbers.