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LITTLE ROCK, Ark. Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson is pressing forward with efforts to allow schools to mandate face masks as coronavirus infections continue to rise in the state.
Hutchinson on Tuesday called the legislature back into session to consider revising a law he signed in April that prohibits mask mandates by schools and other governmental entities. Some lawmakers in the Republican-controlled body are opposing a mandate.
AZPM
After hearing from more than a dozen parents and teachers concerned about students and staff safety amidst the growing number of COVID-19 cases and the delta variant, the Phoenix Elementary School District s governing board voted to re-instate its mask mandate despite a new state law prohibiting this.
It s the second Arizona school district to do so after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued new guidance recommending everyone in K-12 schools wear face coverings while indoors regardless of vaccination status.
This guidance and these concerns are part of what went into Monday s evening vote, but it was still not easy to make, said interim Governing Board President Carmen Trujillo.
and last updated 2021-08-03 21:22:45-04
PHOENIX â âThey should be able to go to school, their education shouldnât be hurt, their socialization shouldnât be hurt,â said Heidi Kim.
Itâs an ideal scenario the Valley mom hoped would play out for her two young girls. But just two weeks into the school year, her five-year-old now has COVID-19.
âThere are a total of three kids in her class who wear masks and my older daughter, there are two kids including her, so one other kid that wears a mask,â said Heidi.
Heidiâs daughters attend EduPrize in San Tan Valley. The charter school sent out a letter to parents outlining safety protocols being taken and urging the use of masks but admitting they couldnât mandate them.
Roosevelt Elementary School District office in Phoenix.
The Osborn and Roosevelt elementary school districts are the latest to issue mask mandates for their students and staff in response to the recent spike in COVID-19 cases and the more transmissible delta variant. Both districts serve preschool through eighth-grade students who are too young for COVID-19 vaccines.
The Osborn superintendent will work with district counsel to develop an opt-out option for parents, the district said in a Facebook statement.
The Osborn school district serves about 2,600 preschool through eighth-grade students. The Osborn district’s first day is Monday, Aug. 9. The Roosevelt school district, in south Phoenix, serves about 7,500 preschool through eighth-grade students and had its first day on Monday, Aug. 2.
Superintendent Chad Gestson and the district board opted for the mandate in defiance of Gov. Doug Ducey. Author: 12 News Updated: 4:49 PM MST August 3, 2021
PHOENIX A teacher with the Phoenix Union High School District filed a lawsuit on Monday against the district’s superintendent and governing board over their decision to mandate masks for students and faculty.
The teacher, who is being represented by the Kolodin Law Group, filed the lawsuit on Monday, which marked the new school year for one of Arizona’s largest school districts.
The lawsuit demands Phoenix Union leaders “prescribe and enforce policies and procedures for the governance of schools that are not inconsistent with the law.”