The Agua Fria Union High School District has released its COVID-19 guidelines ahead of reopening for the fall semester in early August, showing a loosening of restrictions in line with other Arizona public schools.
Students will have the option to mask on campus and in school buses when classes resume for freshman on Aug. 2 and for all other students on Aug. 3.
Masking also is optional for staff and campus visitors.
Daily health screenings have been discontinued, and staff cannot ask students who are unmasked if they have been vaccinated, according to an announcement sent to district parents.
AFUHSD stated in the announcement it will continue to follow quarantine and isolation guidelines from Maricopa County Department of Public Health, and “specific instructions will be given to individuals who test positive, have symptoms, or close-contact exposure.”
Students with a household member who tests positive for COVID should stay home until they communicate with their school’s COVID supervisor, according to the announcement.
Testing is recommended for those showing COVID-like symptoms.
A positive test will trigger a minimum 10-day quarantine period starting from the onset of symptoms. The announcement stated staff who must quarantine are required to use their paid sick leave.
The Agua Fria School District operates five high schools and two alternative programs in the cities of Goodyear, Avondale, Waddell, Buckeye and Glendale, serving about 8,700 students.
Virtual learning will continue to be available. So far, about 100 students have signed up for virtual classes, according to Megan Griego, the district’s director of communications and strategic initiatives.
Like other districts across the state, AFUHSD schools shut down in March 2020, offering virtual-only classes, but reopened in October, using a hybrid learning model. Following a spike in cases, schools quickly went virtual-only after Thanksgiving break, reopening once again in March 2021, after Gov. Ducey ordered schools to return in-person.
School reopening policies trigger debate in Governor’s office, state legislature
COVID-19 mitigation policies for Arizona public schools have been the topic of much debate. Last week, Gov. Ducey’s office sent a letter to two Arizona school districts stating their quarantine policies must be “rescinded immediately.”
Peoria Unified School District and Catalina Foothills School District in Tucson announced a mandatory 10-day quarantine for unvaccinated students exposed to the virus, which the Governor’s office characterized as discriminatory.
Attorneys for both districts have defended their policies under the new state law.
Masks in schools also has been the subject of ongoing debate. The Republican-led Arizona Legislature adopted a measure on June 30 prohibiting public and charter schools from requiring students to mask on campus. The move sparked condemnation from some public health officials.
The CDC continues to recommend the “universal and correct use of masks” on school campuses to mitigate the spread of the virus, especially since those under the age of 12 are ineligible to receive the vaccine.
Minors between the ages of 12 and 15 became vaccine eligible in May 2021.
District trains 10 teachers to act as mental health resources
National trends show worsening mental health conditions for teens and young adults between the start of the pandemic and today.
A report by C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital states the pandemic has had a “significant mental health impact” on teens. The report reflects worsening anxiety and depression, among other mental health challenges in teenagers.
Experts cite changes in routine and social isolation as reasons for the rise in mental health issues in school-aged children and teens. It remains to be seen how these numbers will be impacted with loosening COVID-19 restrictions across the country.
To help students reintegrate into in-person learning, the Agua Fria High School District is training 10 teachers and staff to act as mental health resources for students who might need extra help. The added position is officially titled “Teacher On Special Assignment” and “Staff On Special Assignment,” TOSA/SOSA for short.
Two TOSA/SOSA teachers will be assigned to each in-person high school.
The goal, Griego said, is to be proactive and engaged with students as well as parents.
The TOSA/SOSA staff are being trained to “greet our students, get to know them,” Griego said. “If there’s a kid sitting by themselves at a lunch table, to go up to them, introduce themselves, see what they’re interested in.”
While not mental health experts, the staff are receiving training with the help of district social workers. Griego characterized their role as “the link between a social worker, a school counselor, and administrator,” who can connect students to help based on their individual needs.
Students attending class online can also be put in touch with virtual counseling services.
District officials had broached the topic of increasing mental health resources pre-pandemic, but the last year and a half pushed the issue “to the forefront,” shaping the district’s approach to mental health, Griego said.
District staff are working hard to make schools a welcoming place for students and reinforce the “support system students are definitely going to need” as they return to in-person learning, she said.
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