Schools in Maricopa and Pima counties to reopen for in-person classes. What are their plans?
Lily Altavena
The spread of COVID-19 has slowed enough for schools in 10 Arizona counties, including in metro Phoenix, to reopen for in-person classes under state health recommendations.
The benchmarks, which use the level of COVID-19 spread as the barometer for safely reopening school buildings, show that the state's two most populated counties —Maricopa and Pima — meet the health benchmarks.
Ten out of 15 Arizona counties are cleared to reopen under the benchmarks, which are updated on Thursdays. That means in the counties that met the benchmarks:
- The number of COVID-19 cases has declined for two consecutive weeks or the rate of cases has been lower than 100 cases per 100,000.
- The infection rate has been below 7% for two consecutive weeks.
- Hospital visits for COVID-like illnesses have remained below 10% for two consecutive weeks.
Because spread is considered "minimal to moderate" in Maricopa County, Arizona Department of Health Services guidance recommends that schools open with fewer students on campus at the same time. That model of learning, called hybrid learning, usually requires students to split their week between virtual and in-person learning.
However, data from Maricopa County Public Health, also updated Thursday, shows that some districts may still want to delay in-person reopening plans. The county's data shows COVID-19 spread district-by-district. Some districts still meet the state's criteria at the more granular level, but others, like Mesa, are just shy of meeting the metrics set by the state.
Schools don't have to wait on state benchmarks to reopen. And some did not — Queen Creek Unified schools and American Leadership Academy charter schools have been open for face-to-face school since Aug. 17.
But the vast majority of schools in Arizona remained virtual at the beginning of the school year.
Some districts have already announced tentative reopening dates, in anticipation of meeting the benchmarks. Mesa Public Schools, the state's biggest school district, is tentatively planning to open classrooms Sept. 14. Higley Unified, in Gilbert, will open its doors to students Sept. 8. Other districts have pledged to remain closed until October.
Schools have received an enormous amount of pressure from both parents and teachers over reopening plans. Parent groups have rallied outside school board meetings to push boards to vote to reopen, while teachers have actually halted school district plans to reopen in one East Valley district.
In a statement on Thursday, Schools Superintendent Kathy Hoffman urged communities to "proceed with caution."
"Schools should continue to provide options for students, families, educators, and staff who are not yet comfortable returning to school facilities," she wrote.
When aree districts opening for in-person classes?
Here's what we know about reopening plans for the largest districts in the state:
Alhambra Elementary District
Students in Alhambra will remain in virtual school until the beginning of the second quarter, in October.
Amphitheater Unified School District
The southern Arizona district has not yet announced a reopening date, but the earliest possible date for in-person school is Oct. 12, according to the district's website.
Cartwright Elementary District
The metro Phoenix district has not yet announced a reopening date, according to spokesperson Veronica Sanchez. The district is monitoring COVID-19 cases in the area.
Chandler Unified School District
Elementary school students will start going to school in-person on a staggered schedule starting Sept. 14. Preschool to second-grade students return on Sept. 14, while third- to sixth-grade students start Sept. 21.
Students in seventh to 12th grade will not return for in-person school until Oct. 13.
Deer Valley Unified School District
In the northern part of the Valley, Deer Valley has not yet announced a reopening date.
Dysart Unified School District
In Surprise, Dysart students will return to school for in-person classes starting Sept. 14, when kindergarten through fourth grade and ninth-grade students will return. On Sept. 21, the rest of the student body will come back for face-to-face instruction.
Gilbert Public Schools
Gilbert will reopen for hybrid learning Sept. 8.
Students with last names starting with the letter A through L will attend school in-person on Mondays and Thursdays, according to the district's website. Students with M through Z last names will attend school in-person on Tuesdays and Friday.
On Sept. 21, school in Gilbert will reopen fully.
Glendale Elementary School District
The district has promised to update families on reopening in-person on Sept. 4, after metrics are released.
Glendale Union High School District
The district is surveying families to see if they support reopening and has not announced an in-person date yet.
Higley Unified School District
Students in Higley will return to school Sept. 8 for in-person learning.
Kyrene Elementary School District
Kyrene students will come back to campus by grade.
On Sept. 17, kindergarten, first and second-graders will return.
On Sept. 24, third-, fourth- and fifth-grade students will return.
On Oct. 13, all middle school students will return.
Litchfield Elementary District
Litchfield has not yet announced an in-person reopening date.
Marana Unified District
Marana Unified has not yet announced a date to reopen for in-person school.
Mesa Public Schools
The state's largest school district is planning to reopen for in-person classes on Sept. 14, if the data shows its safe to do so.
The district will likely open for modified in-person school, which means students will alternate what days they come into school and what days they learn from home.
Paradise Valley Unified School District
Paradise Valley has not yet set a firm reopening date, according to the most recent message from the district's superintendent to families.
Phoenix Union High School District
The central Phoenix high school district will remain online through the end of the district's fall term in October.
Peoria Unified School District
Peoria Unified is planning to reopen in a very limited capacity starting Sept. 8. The district will open for developmental preschool and small group learning for students in hands-on career and technical education classes.
The district has not yet announced when it will reopen fully but will likely welcome students back in a hybrid model, where students will alternate what days they're on campus.
Scottsdale Unified School District
Scottsdale officials haven't reported a firm reopening date but are weighing reopening in a hybrid model, which would split students into two groups and alternate days on campus.
School board members chose to survey parents to see if there's support for reopening in a hybrid capacity.
Sunnyside Unified District
In Tucson, Sunnyside has not announced a reopening date for in-person schools.
Tempe Elementary School District
Tempe's school board approved reopening for in-person classes on Oct. 13 at all schools, according to the district's website.
Tempe Union High School District
Tempe Union has not announced a reopening date, but according to an update posted on the district's website Aug. 28, is waiting on county benchmarks to choose a reopening date.
Tolleson Union High School District
Tolleson Union does not appear to have picked a date to reopen for in-person classes.
Tucson Unified School District
In southern Arizona, Tucson Unified has delayed in-person learning for all students until October.
Vail Unified School District
According to Vail's website, the district has not yet announced a firm reopening date but states that the earliest possible date for hybrid or in-person likely will be between Sept. 14 and Oct. 5.
Washington Elementary School District
The district has not yet announced a reopening date for in-person learning.
Reach the reporter at Lily.Altavena@ArizonaRepublic.com or follow her on Twitter @LilyAlta.
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