Board members urge Arizona governor to delay opening schools until October

PHOENIX (KYMA, KECY)-Arizona school board members joined by medical professionals urge Governor Doug Ducey to delay opening schools until at least October.

AzFamily reports over 100 school board members, healthcare workers, and education advocates signed off a letter and spoke outside the state capital before delivering the letter to the governor’s office.

“If you open schools this fall and we see an increase in infections and death, you will have the blood of our students, our teachers, and their families on your hands,” said Lindsay Love with the governing board for Chandler Unified School District.

The letter the board members signed off on, had the following demands:

• Statewide closure of buildings and classrooms until October 1, or the date on district academic calendars that marks the end of the first quarter of instruction.
• In October, districts may consider reopening buildings and classrooms for in-person learning when we meet agreed-upon levels of COVID-19 data points that show a reduction of risk and infection in our communities.
• In October, districts may reopen buildings and classrooms when we meet agreed-upon safety protocols and requirements, as determined by the Center for Disease Control and the Arizona Department of Health.
• Fund distance learning at the same level as in-person instruction without the requirement to also provide face-to-face classes five days a week.
• Provide clarity and assurance that every school receive 100% of their prior year funding through the Enrollment Stability Grant, despite the COVID-19 specific related expenses we may incur.
• Waive the 180 instructional day requirement for the school year 2020-2021.
• Suspend the statewide standardized assessment, AzM2, for school year 2020-2021 and allow districts to use local assessments to track academic progress for accountability purposes.
• Ask the Arizona Department of Education to submit an extension or new waiver for the USDA school lunch program so schools can offer ‘to-go’ meals to students even when campuses are closed.

The first day of school in Yuma County is set to start August 3rd, as students start the first two weeks working from home.

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In the letter, board members request increased funding for districts to support online learning with equipment and internet access.

Arizona Department of Education Superintendent Kathy Hoffman also issued the following statement to AzFamily:

"As we all prepare for the upcoming school year, it is critical for decision-makers to listen to and amplify the voices of teachers, school staff and education leaders. Last month the Arizona Department of Education held a virtual teacher table with educators around the state to discuss their expectations and visions for next school year amid COVID-19. In addition to our Teachers’ Table, ADE has weekly conversations with the Arizona Education Association and other education stakeholders to discuss the process for safely returning to school. I highly encourage all districts and charter schools to invite their educators to the decision-making table as well."