Labor union for Arizona's public school educators calls teacher housing bill a 'terrible idea'

One of Arizona’s state senators wants to allow school buildings to be turned into housing for teachers and other critical workers. But some educators are against it.

Republican state Sen. John Kavanagh’s idea comes as many Arizona school districts are closing campuses due to declines in enrollment.

Marisol Garcia is president of the Arizona Education Association, the labor union for Arizona public school educators.

"I'll be honest. The union thinks this is a terrible idea," Garcia said.

Garcia said teachers are professionals who want to be able to decide where they live.

“So by saying ‘Hey, instead of paying you more so that you can decide where you and your family want to live, you can live in one of our buildings.’ What that does is it puts teachers in a very difficult position. Your boss is now also your landlord," Garcia said.

She added that the idea has been used in rural school districts throughout the country and on reservations, like the Navajo Nation.

“Speaking to former employees as well as the former superintendent from there, this causes a lot of problems," Garcia said, "because if you, for instance, have to be let go, you are also now homeless.”

An AEA spokesperson told KJZZ that in the Sanders Unified School District in eastern Arizona, school officials recently moved to evict the family member of a teacher from district housing after the teacher and community members raised concerns about district policies.