Many of Pamela Wilson and Michael Martin’s peers have reported costs going down since the COVID-19 pandemic. The Lake Oswego couple can’t say the same. Their 4-year-old son used to go to daycare in LO, but in order to maintain his daycare routine once the Lake Oswego School District option closed down, they had to move to a facility in West Linn, a 20 minute drive away. Meanwhile, the couple’s 9-year-old daughter switched to LOSD’s hybrid learning model, splitting time between online learning and in-person sessions that the family had to supplement with tutoring in Tualatin. Having the children home for significantly more hours in the day has also increased electricity, water and heating bills. Nonetheless, Martin says the biggest cost on the family has been psychological.

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