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Parents in Snoqualmie Valley School District rally to reopen schools

SNOQUALMIE VALLEY, Wash. — Parents in the Snoqualmie Valley School District rallied Monday, urging the district to reopen schools and start in-person learning.

With the new year, many parents want their kids back in the classroom as soon as possible.

“We’ve been able to open a lot of things, get a lot of businesses going again; my kids can go down to the mall and hang out, but they can’t get an education in the classroom,” parent John Cullen said.

“We’ve been trying to keep them home but unfortunately it’s really having an effect on their mental status,” parent Lisa Connors added.

In a statement from late December, the superintendent said the hope was to bring back some of the district’s youngest students for in-person learning in mid-January.

No exact dates have been set, but the superintendent did say getting older age groups back in school would be a challenge because they change classes so much.

The parents who rallied are frustrated that the district is not more specific on a timeline. They told KIRO 7′s Ranji Sinha that a return plan should start with dates.

President-elect Biden has signaled that teachers should be vaccinated to help get schools open within his first 100 days, which could help get classrooms open sooner.

“We’re trying to get it out there that kids need to go back and it’s safe to do so. It’s happening on the eastern side of the state, why is it not happening here,” Connors said.