On Monday, April 19, Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey announced that he would no longer be requiring school districts to mandate mask wearing among students, teachers and visitors, leaving the decision about masking to the individual districts to decide for themselves.
Executive Order 2021-10, issued Monday, April 19, rescinded Ducey’s Executive Order 2020-51 from July that had mandated kindergarten to 12th-grade schools in Arizona require students, staff and visitors to wear face masks to slow the spread of COVID-19.
Ducey’s order leaves the decision about masks and other precautions up to local school districts.
“Nearly 2 million Arizonans are fully vaccinated against COVID-19, with many teachers and school faculty now fully vaccinated after being some of the first in line for vaccine prioritization,” Ducey said. “Teachers, families and students have acted responsibly to mitigate the spread of the virus and protect one another, and our school leaders are ready to decide if masks should be required on their campuses. We will continue to work with public health professionals and Arizona’s schools as more students return to the classroom and our state moves forward.”
Local school districts have announced intentions to maintain masking rules at local schools, at least for the time being.
Mingus Union High School District
“This order effectively delegates the authority to mandate face coverings to individual school districts,” Mingus Union High School District Superintendent Mike Westcott told parents in a letter sent out on Tuesday. “At this time, the MUHS administration and Governing Board are reviewing this order, along with guidance from the CDC, the Arizona Department of Health Services, and the Arizona Department of Education. Until further notice, we will continue to follow existing board policy regulations and our COVID-19 mitigation plan, which requires the use of face coverings on our campus. The only exceptions are for students when distancing of at least three feet can be maintained or they are outside.”
Cottonwood-Oak Creek School District
“The health and safety of our children and staff are of foremost importance to us,” Cottonwood-Oak Creek School District Superintendent Steve King wrote in a letter to parents on Monday. “With only a little over four weeks remaining in the school year, we are not willing to subject them to any increased risk of the pandemic.
“At this time, we will continue to implement our school board approved COCSD COVID-19 mitigation plan which includes the wearing of masks by all students, staff, and visitors in our schools through the end of the school year.”
Sedona-Oak Creek School District
“The physical health, mental well-being, and safety of your children and their dedicated teachers and staff are our highest priority,” Sedona-Oak Creek School District Superintendent Dennis Dearden wrote parents. “With just one month remaining in this school year, we are committed to sustaining the Continuity of Operations Plan implemented by the SOCUSD Governing Board when they approved re-opening our district schools. Please know that because of these efforts, your district has been open to in-person learning when most districts offered only remote instruction.
Dearden copied King’s statement word-for-word: “At this time, we will continue to implement our board approved COVID-19 mitigation plan which includes the wearing of masks by all students, staff, and visitors in our schools through the end of the school year.”
“Your administration and Governing Board will review all COVID related planning during the summer months, and the Governing Board will implement an updated plan for the 2021-2022 school year.”
Clarkdale-Jerome School District
“District mitigation plans across the state have been created, revised and presented to local governing boards for approval,” Clarkdale-Jerome School District Superintendent Danny Brown wrote to families. “At CJSD, we have revised our mitigation plan several times over the course of the school year and those revised plans have been approved by our governing board. With this said, we will continue implementing the mitigation plan we currently have in place that requires masks to be worn on campus by all students, faculty, staff and visitors. We will continue with this policy until the governing board meets to review and discuss any mitigation plan revisions for approval. Please ensure your child has a mask prior to coming to school tomorrow.”
Camp Verde Unified School District
Camp Verde Unified School District intends to retain the “status quo for now,” according to Superintendent Danny Howe.
“Our board will have to vote to lift it,” Howe wrote in an email. “Currently it is on the May agenda.”
