Teachers, parents and students prepare for the first day of school in Columbia

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Columbia Public School students and parents are getting ready to return to learn Tuesday.

A couple of school parents in Columbia say they feel safe knowing everyone has to wear masks at school buildings right now however a new school brings new challenges.

Mackenzie Blakeman's daughter starts sixth grade at Warner Middle School in Columbia. She says she feels good knowing everyone has to wear masks when they go into the building.

Columbia Public Schools starts its year on a downward trend in COVID-19 cases.

The district's tracker shows 50 cases of COVID-19 for every 10,000 people in the district. That's the lowest it's been in a month.

Jessica Wright, the mother of a seventh-grader at Warner Middle School says masks are a good choice.

Jessica's taught is most excited to get a proper first day of school after the district chose to start last year remotely.

Those exposed to someone with COVID-19 and are fully vaccinated or wear a mask properly won't have to quarantine. Quarantine lengths are the same this year. That's 10 days if you're exposed, and seven days if you can show a negative test at that point.

Based on last year's numbers, 45 percent of the district's enrollment is elementary-aged. They're not eligible for a vaccine yet.