Agua Fria students return to distance learning Nov. 9

We lost an employee over the summer and I don’t forget that employee. I can’t forget that employee. So as I speak to you tonight, it’s not about what we want or what we think we want to do. We want to be with the students, we want to be safe, but when I think about the people we are losing ... I can’t get away from the fact that we need to be safe and we need to be thoughtful.”

Dr. Dennis Runyan, AFUHSD superintendent

By Kelly O’Sullivan
Twitter: @AzNewsmedia

Agua Fria Union High School District students will return to full-time distance learning Monday, Nov. 9, and remain in that model through the end of the semester Dec. 18.

The district’s Governing Board voted 3-1 with one abstention on Wednesday, Nov. 4. to approve Superintendent Dennis Runyan’s recommendation to move students out of the two-day-a-week-onsite hybrid model because of concerns over rising cases of COVID-19 in the West Valley and around the state.

Board members Vickie Landis, Mariana Sandoval and Mary Kay Utecht voted in favor of Ms. Utecht’s motion, which also included requiring teachers to teach from home through the end of the semester, though Dr. Runyan had recommended they be given the option to teach from their classrooms. Board member Maxine Hill abstained, and board President Gina DeCoste voted against.

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Students who have nowhere to go during the school day, as well as special needs students, will continue to be accommodated on campus.

Sports also will not be impacted.

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Like other districts across the state, AFUHSD students began the academic in distance learning mode. Students transitioned to the hybrid model Oct. 12.

Since the end of September, cases in Maricopa County have continued to rise. Data released by the Arizona Department of Health Service on Nov. 5 showed the number of cases per 100,000 people in Maricopa County jumped from 84 on Oct. 11 to 115 Oct. 18, moving the county from moderate to substantial spread.

Test positivity and the number of hospitalizations for COVID-like illnesses remained in the moderate category, though the number of positive cases jumped from 5.5% Oct. 11 to 6.4% Oct. 18, and the number of hospitalizations rose from 3.0% to 3.3%

As of Oct. 30, a total of 15 active COVID-19 cases among students and staff had been reported throughout the district: one at Agua Fria High in Avondale, six at Canyon View High in Waddell, three at Desert Edge High in Goodyear, four at Millennium High in Goodyear and one at Verrado High in Buckeye.

Those numbers will be updated Friday, Nov. 6, on the district’s website, aguafria.org.

Several letters from parents urging the board to stay with the hybrid model or return students to class five days a week were read before Dr. Runyan began his presentation.

“There’s no doubt that the most important thing we want to be doing is providing in-person services,” he said. “I think it’s important for the public to understand that’s our priority, too, and we under stand the passion.”

Dr. Runyan said he wasn’t happy with Gov. Doug Ducey’s announcement two weeks ago that all three state metrics should be categorized as substantial for health officials to recommend that districts return to distance learning. Before the change, only one metric needed to be substantial. School districts are not required to make changes when metrics change; the state has left decisions up to their governing boards.

“We take issue with the governor bringing the metrics different ... that has not been backed up with the medical indicators,” Dr. Runyan said, noting that his staff received no communication on the change before the announcement.

He also explained why he was passionate about returning to distance learning.

“We lost an employee over the summer and I don’t forget that employee. I can’t forget that employee,” he said. “So as I speak to you tonight, it’s not about what we want or what we think we want to do. We want to be with the students, we want to be safe, but when I think about the people we are losing ... I can’t get away from the fact that we need to be safe and we need to be thoughtful.”

Ms. Utecht said she agreed with Dr. Runyan’s recommendation, but took it a step further.

“If you’re going to go virtual, it should not be optional that teachers be in the building. All teachers should be out of the building,” she said. “It saves on the spread and it saves on janitorial services.”

Ms. Sandoval also agreed.

“I hear parents saying, ‘I have a right over my student’ and they’re right ... but it’s not just about their student. It’s about the teachers, it’s about the staff, it’s about the community,” she said, telling fellow board members that neighboring Tolleson Unified High School District is mourning the loss of 40-year-old teacher and coach Ash Friederich, who lost his battle with COVID-19 on Halloween.

“I continue to receive emails from teachers saying how scared they are, how stressed out they are. They love their kids and they’re working hard, and this hybrid mixed schedule has made it harder for them,” she said.

Ms. DeCoste had different fears.

“This is my fear, that we’re going to see this spike that we just saw and then we're going to shut it down and then in two weeks that we’re going to be yellow, yellow, yellow and then we’re going to bring it back,” she said. “Then these kids are going to be back and forth, back and forth and there’s no consistency for the kids and the families.

When the board meets in regular session at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 9, Dr. Runyan will recommend how instruction should proceed when the second semester begins in January.

If social distancing and other safety requirements are still in place then, a return to five-day in-person learning will be difficult, he said.

“It’s not yet safe to have 30, 28 students in once classroom with that instructor,” he said.

Dr. Runyan encouraged parents to write to the district to let administrators know what they hope to see next semester.

He also encouraged students struggling after returning to distance learning, to reach out to their counselors.

Kelly O’Sullivan can be reached at kosullivan@newszap.com or 760-963-1697.