Health departments at all levels of government recommend universal masking as a major component of COVID-19 mitigation in schools, including the state health department.
“Consistent with CDC guidance and state law, ADHS continues to recommend that everyone wear masks and follow other mitigation strategies indoors around those they don’t live with in areas where COVID-19 spread is high or substantial,” said Arizona Department of Health Services spokesman Steve Elliott.
TUSD to defy law, keep masks
While about half the school districts in Pima County have a mask mandate, most have said they will rescind the mandate when the state law forbidding a mandate goes into effect next week.
The Tucson Unified School District broke from that Thursday night and voted to continue requiring masks on campuses, regardless of whether a ban on them goes into effect.
Tucson’s largest school district, serving upward of 42,000 students, is also filing a complaint and asking for federal assistance from the U.S. Department of Education and the U.S. Department of Justice, saying the actions taken by the governor and the Legislature prohibit schools’ ability to implement COVID-19 mitigation measures shown to protect the school community, in particular students and staff with disabilities.
“The district further seeks to ensure that Arizona is not substantially increasing the risk that children with disabilities will contract the virus and in turn substantially increase their risk of severe illness or death,” said Board President Adelita Grijalva, reading the motion that the board members who were present unanimously approved at the Sept. 23, meeting.
