For many Arizona families, the classroom will be the kitchen or living room for the first few months of the school year.
Plans are underway to reopen schools in some capacity.
But the majority of kids will return to the classroom virtually. Some will go back in-person — but not immediately. Last week, Gov. Doug Ducey unveiled a plan to reopen schools based on public health data. The Arizona Department of Health Services must set data benchmarks for schools to follow by Aug. 7. That means data, not dates, will drive the decision to reopen.
By the time Ducey had made his announcement, many districts already had made plans to reopen. For some, Ducey's announcement didn't change anything. Others pushed back target reopening dates for in-person classes, noting that they'd ultimately rely on the public health benchmarks, now in development.
Q & A: What Arizona's school reopening plan means for students, parents and teachers
Schools also must decide how they fulfill a requirement in Ducey's order to provide on-site learning opportunities starting Aug. 17 for students who need a place to go during the day.
Here's what Arizona's five biggest school districts are planning:
1. Mesa Public Schools
School starts in Mesa on Tuesday, Aug. 4. For all students, school will begin online from home.
In a letter to Mesa families, Superintendent Andi Fourlis wrote that the district "will develop an in-person learning recommendation" when ADHS releases the data benchmarks for schools.
When public health data signals that it's safe to reopen, Mesa will hold in-person learning using a modified plan. Students will be divided into two groups and alternate the days they attend class in-person, learning remotely on the days they're not in-person.
Parents can choose between the partial in-person plan or a completely online plan. They can change their minds once during the semester.
Fourlis said last week that the district is in the process of surveying its community to see who might need the in-person option required by Ducey's order starting Aug. 17. She said the district would prioritize the children of essential workers.
In a document the district posted online, about 7% of Mesa's 62,000 students don't have access to reliable internet.
2. Chandler Unified School District
Virtual learning will begin in Chandler on Wednesday, Aug. 5.
Spokesman Terry Locke wrote in an email to The Arizona Republic that the district is waiting on health officials to release benchmarks to guide reopening plans. He said a "vast majority" of parents have chosen to send their child back to school in-person when classrooms reopen.
Parents have the choice to stick with online or move to in-person learning once that reopens. If students return in-person, they will be spaced out to meet social distancing requirements.
Locke wrote that the district is still working on plans for on-site learning opportunities to meet the Aug. 17 requirement and would share those plans when finalized.
3. Tucson Unified School District
All Tucson Unified students will start online learning on Aug. 10 and rely on data from public health officials to reopen for in-person classes. Tucson has an arrangement with the Pima County Health Department to also provide metrics to help guide the decision to reopen, Superintendent Gabriel Trujillo said in a town hall on Monday.
Parents will have the choice of virtual learning or in-person.
But even in-person classes will be taught by teachers virtually, under Tucson Unified's plan. For in-school learners, monitors will supervise students while they learn from a device.
It is unclear what Tucson is planning for Aug. 17.
4. Peoria Unified School District
Peoria will start school virtually on Wednesday, Aug. 5, with early release for the first few days to ease into the remote model.
The district's school board voted to start school in-person no earlier than Sept. 8, but will ultimately base the decision to reopen for in-person classes on health benchmarks from ADHS.
Peoria has also tasked a medical advisory team made up of physicians and epidemiologists to help guide the decision to reopen.
District spokesperson Danielle Airey said surveys have yielded mixed results from parents: Some are eager to return while others are grateful to start online.
For the school year, parents can choose between virtual instruction or what will eventually be in-person school. Students in virtual school for the year will be taught through software called Florida Virtual, where lessons will be taught live three to five times a week.
Students enrolled in the in-person program will start school online.
Peoria is still surveying its community to understand the need for on-site learning opportunities starting Aug. 17, and will have results early next week, Airey wrote.
5. Deer Valley Unified School District
Students in the Deer Valley district, which sprawls across Phoenix, Glendale and Peoria, will start remote learning on Monday, Aug. 3.
As of now, student's won't return to in-person learning until at least Oct. 14. Parents have two options for their students: They can choose an all-virtual option for the school year or an option that will start virtually then transition to on-campus when it's safe for students to return.
The all-virtual option will include live instruction and self-paced, independent work.
The in-person option will begin online, and move to in-person school when it's safe to do so.
It is unclear what Deer Valley is planning to offer students who need of on-site learning opportunities starting Aug. 17.
Reach the reporter at Lily.Altavena@ArizonaRepublic.com or follow her on Twitter @LilyAlta.
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How Arizona's 5 largest school districts plan to reopen - AZCentral
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