I don't think it's a question of closing schools, but rather a question of how long they should have remained closed. It's clear that we're well past closing schools at this point. I do think that closing schools and doing remote learning has to be considered if we face a similar pandemic situation, but that would all depend on whether it's effective in combating the pandemic.
While I acknowledge closing schools had been necessary, that came at great cost to some children who don't do well without the personal touch and accountability that comes with in person teaching. While my 3 older kids have adjusted reasonably well to remote learning, my youngest daughter has struggled pretty terribly with school over the last year and a half. She hasn't been the same since returning to school when it reopened and I'm not sure why that is. But it clearly started when they went to remote learning. I can imagine she's not the only one who has struggled with the shift to remote, then back to in person classes.
They did remote learning for a year and a half. That's a long, long time for them. My daughter dealt with depression and grief from losing a teacher (Covid victim) she was very close to. She actually dreaded going back to school, yet was confused because she wanted to go to school and be with her friends. That's no small thing.
None if this is black and white and we need to find a healthy balance going forward.