Pierce County begins considering reopening elementary schools

PIERCE COUNTY, Wash. - There’s huge news for Pierce County Parents eager to have their kids back in school. On Friday, the county’s department of health released new guidelines for districts, now stating due to lower COVID numbers, schools can consider gradually bringing back elementary school students for in-person learning.

Health officials say the data supports that children of elementary school age are at a lower risk than teens and young adults. 

“Elementary school students have the hardest time with distance learning, these are little children and it’s hard for them to just stay focused, stay in front of a computer, it’s probably not even good or healthy for them to spend a lot of time in front of a computer and they miss the social interaction that children need,” said Nancy Sutton, Director of the Tacoma Pierce County Health Department.

This news comes after much controversy and high emotions felt by families after Pierce County became the first and only county in the state to require schools all begin with the distance learning.

Pierce county school districts sent out a collective memo that between now and September 21st they will be monitoring data and developing transition plans. No schools plan to have students back before September 22nd.

Officials with Pierce County’s health department also said today they’re hoping people are responsible this holiday weekend and they don’t see another spike as they did after the 4th of July. If that happens, it could affect when students get to be back in school. There is no timeline set yet for middle or high school students.