The general problem was that the closing of on-campus schooling due to the coronavirus disease of 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic led to the need for lower schools to implement virtual education (Bakia et al., 2018; Griffy-Brown, 2021; Reisoglu et al., 2017), and virtual education may continue to be the response to future crises that require on-campus closures. The specific problem was that there were negative impacts on student learning that occurred as a result of lower school students learning virtually (Acal et al., 2021; Barrios et al., 2021). For the purpose of this study, lower school comprises PreK-Grade 5 classes. The phenomenon was understood as the lower school virtual education lived experiences caused by the COVID-19 pandemic (Alvarez, 2020; Amponsah et al., 2021). As a phenomenological investigation, this research focused on "the experience itself and how experiencing something is transformed into consciousness" (Merriam & Tisdell, 2016, pp. 25-26). This study was particularly important because the implementation of virtual education as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic swiftly and radically altered the field of mainstream PreK-12 schooling in 2020 and still does today (McCollough, 2021). Lower school stakeholders continue to confront unprecedented challenges as a result of closed campuses (Alvarez, 2020; Amponsah et al., 2021). Therefore, it was imperative to investigate and understand these experiences to attempt to identify the appropriateness of virtual education, particularly for lower school students as plans are developed for the future. This phenomenological investigation was conducted and analyzed through Lev Vygotsky's sociocultural cognitive theory framework (Vygotsky & Cole, 1981). As a result, this investigation may provide guidance to school leaders and other stakeholders who are considering virtual education as an option for lower school students. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2222/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]