Renton's Youngest Students Return To The Classroom

RENTON, WA — After successfully reaching an agreement with the Renton Education Association Tuesday, the school district has started to welcome back its youngest students. Along with preschoolers and kindergarteners, elementary instructional learning classrooms and Renton Academy K-5 began half-day programs Wednesday, which will move to full-day later in the month.

Here's the outlook for returning other elementary students into the spring:

• March 16, 2021:
  • 1st-grade
  • Head Start-ECEAP
• March 23, 2021:
  • 2nd-grade
• March 24, 2021:
  • Secondary Instructional Learning Classrooms (ILC) grades 6-12 begin full-day program
  • Renton Academy 6-12 graders begin full-day program
  • Adult Transition Program (ATP) begin full-day program
• March 30, 2021
  • 3rd-grade
• April 5-9
  • Spring Break
• April 13, 2021:
  • 4th-grade
• April 20, 2021:
  • 5th-grade

Renton's return to class follows neighboring cities that recently welcomed back the youngest learners, including the Bellevue and Lake Washington districts. Seattle Public Schools will welcome back a limited number of students next week and continues to bargain for the return of K-5 students in a phased hybrid model.

While the state's guidance encourages all districts to resume some in-person learning, teachers' unions in many districts have raised concerns about safety measures and returning to work before they are vaccinated. Following a directive from President Joe Biden earlier in the week, Gov. Jay Inslee announced all Washington educators would immediately qualify for vaccine appointments.

Learn more about Renton's back-to-school plan on the school district website.