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AZ School Districts Planning First Days In Response To Monday's Executive Order

A Monday  executive order by Gov. Doug Ducey has delayed the first day of in-person instruction at K-12 Arizona schools to Aug. 17. Under the executive order, school districts are allowed to start their academic year before Aug. 17 through distance learning. Dysart Unified, Paradise Valley Unified, Peoria Unified, Phoenix Union High are a few of the school districts that will do just that to welcome students back as scheduled.

The Peoria district's first day is Wednesday, Aug. 5. Chief communications officer Danielle Airey said the first three days will be half days where the district will focus on getting students adjusted to the virtual school setting as well as their social and emotional needs.

“Certainly they are in the midst of enduring a pandemic. They may need some additional support because this new school environment will be a little bit different for many of them," Airey said.

The Peoria district will also use the half days to provide its teacher with professional development.

"We know that this will certainly be an adjustment for many of them as well and we'll need to provide them with extra support so they can continue to teach our students," she said. 

The Tucson Unified School District is pushing back the opening of its school year, which was originally set for Aug. 6, to Aug. 17 in response to the executive order. 

"We are reviewing how this adjustment will impact the start date for our staff and teachers, as well as the school calendar.  We appreciate everyone’s patience as we work through this very fluid situation," said the district's superintendent Gabriel Trujillo. 

The Kyrene School District is moving start dates for students who chose their in-person and flex distance learning options from July 30 to Aug. 17 to align with the executive order. Kyrene Digital Academy students will start school as scheduled on July 30. 

→  Read The Latest News On The Coronavirus Disease 

Rocio Hernandez was a senior field correspondent at KJZZ from 2020 to 2022.