School is back in session this week for some students in the Phoenix area — and more are starting soon. It’s sparking debates over just how schools should keep students and staff safe as COVID-19 cases rise across the state.
Gov. Doug Ducey recently signed a law that prohibits schools from requiring masks or vaccinations, and that has some parents and school officials concerned.
The latest iteration of these back-and-forths began last week when the governor’s education policy adviser sent letters to the Peoria Unified School District and Catalina Foothills in Tucson ordering them to rescind quarantine protocols for unvaccinated students who have recorded COVID-19 exposure.
Attorneys for the districts responded by saying they are in full compliance, and that the schools have a responsibility to provide a safe learning environment.
Arizona’s State Superintendent of Public Instruction Kathy Hoffman issued an official statement recently saying Gov. Ducey’s COVID-19 policies have “completely left our students and those who are unvaccinated behind.”
The Show spoke with Hoffman to learn more about how she would like to see the rise in cases handled.
