The Phoenix Union High School District, which serves more than 28,000 students, announced Friday that it will continue distance learning into March. The district hasn’t reopened classrooms since the pandemic began.
The district had hoped to start in-person learning by February but the current COVID metrics don’t give Superintendent Chad Gestson optimism that it will be safe to do so, he said in a video statement.
“Spread of COVID in our ZIP codes is worse than ever," Gestson said. "In fact, we are at the worst point in time in terms of community spread, cases per 100,000 and percent positivity since COVID first came to Phoenix and in Arizona.”
Because of this, the district is planning on keeping students learning from home through the end of the third quarter on March 5. The new target date for in-person instruction is March 15 when students return to school from spring break.
When students can return to the classroom, the district is planning to offer them opportunities to catch up on learning and credits for classes they may have failed. The district is also preparing to offer summer learning opportunities for all students.
