Make it a required skill, not a required class. (Score 1)

In a typical elementary classroom, there will be a wide range of skills - some kids will be at 100wpm with 98% accuracy, others will be poking keyboards with their index fingers at 5wpm. Typing's a vital skill, so you shouldn't just overlook it, but forcing everyone to sit through a class will just lead to increased skill levels in lots of online Flash games. Solution: Make it like the swimming test some high schools have - you must pass a swim test to graduate. If you've been a lifesaver since age 16, you just take the test, pass, and boom, off you go. If you've never been in a pool, you take Intro Swimming for gym. If you sort-of-swim, you can drop in on an after-school session or a summer class. Or hire a private swim coach totally unrelated to the school. The school shouldn't care how you learn it - just that you do learn it.