Tacoma Public Schools cancel some activities, move recess inside due to unhealthy air
Air quality in the Tacoma area was flat-out unhealthy for anyone spending time outdoors Thursday. Smoky air has persisted through the week, leading some school districts to cancel outdoor activities or move them indoors.
Overall air quality in the Tacoma-Puyallup area was measured at 190 at 11 a.m., according to AirNow.gov, just 10 points shy of the “very unhealthy” category. Wildfire smoke is continuing to affect air quality in much of Western Washington, and an air quality alert issued by multiple government agencies was in effect until midnight.
Following recommendations from the state Department of Health, Tacoma Public Schools canceled outdoor activities Wednesday. Spokesperson Kathryn McCarthy said some sports practices were moved indoors and others were canceled. Last weekend, other school districts in Pierce County postponed high school sports games because of air quality.
On Thursday morning, Tacoma Public Schools notified parents that outdoor activities such as recess and P.E. classes would again be kept inside. The school planned to make a decision on after-school activities and athletics by noon.
McCarthy said the process schools are following is much the same as if they were dealing with inclement winter weather.
“If it were extremely cold outside or raining sideways, schools just have a process and spaces indoors where students can play,” McCarthy said. “Obviously they’re not going to be as large as our outdoor spaces, but we are always going to provide ways for students to have recess and have that physical outlet.”
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The Peninsula School District also canceled high school and middle school athletic games and practices.
The Department of Health recommends that outdoor athletic events be canceled if the Air Quality Index reaches 101. McCarthy said Tacoma Public Schools looks to the Puget Sound Clean Air Agency for measurements.
That agency says when air quality is as bad as it is today, everyone may feel health effects. Sensitive groups such as children, older adults or people with heart and lung conditions may experience more serious health effects.
It isn’t the first time Tacoma schools have canceled athletic events due to air quality, McCarthy said. She said an athletic director recalled canceling some sports events in August 2019 before classes started up. According to previous reporting from The News Tribune, some athletic practices were also moved inside in 2018.
Other school districts in Pierce County such as the Puyallup School District and the Sumner-Bonney Lake School District didn’t immediately respond to inquiries from The News Tribune. The Sumner-Bonney Lake School District has previously said athletes are allowed to participate in sports as long as air quality is under 151 according to measurements from AirNow.gov. The website measured air quality at 190 in Sumner at 11 a.m.
