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Education

Litchfield Elementary School District to discuss mandating masks at virtual board meeting

The board meeting comes after court rules mask mandates not yet in violation of state law

Posted 8/17/21

Litchfield Elementary School District will hold a special governing board meeting virtually on Tuesday, Aug. 17 to discuss the possibility of mandating masks on district campuses, after a ruling by …

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Education

Litchfield Elementary School District to discuss mandating masks at virtual board meeting

The board meeting comes after court rules mask mandates not yet in violation of state law

Posted

Litchfield Elementary School District will hold a special governing board meeting virtually on Tuesday, Aug. 17 to discuss the possibility of mandating masks on district campuses, after a ruling by the Maricopa County Superior Court.

“The Governing Board will consider modifying the District's Plan for Reopening 2021-2022 to include a provision that face coverings (masks) be required on District property for both students and staff,” according to the meeting agenda posted on the district website.

Board members may also discuss amending their quarantine procedures and modifying the district’s reopening plan that was published before the start of the fall semester, which began Aug. 2. The full agenda can be found here

LESD’s original COVID readiness plan made masking on campus optional after Gov. Ducey signed a bill in July banning public and charter schools from mandating masks on campus.

READ: Litchfield Elementary School District finalizes 2021-22 COVID readiness plan

Phoenix Union High School District made headlines after it became the first public school district to defy the ban and require it’s students to mask on campus. A ruling by the Maricopa County Superior Court declared that the district had not yet violated state law, as the statewide ban does not take effect until Sept. 29.

LESD's special governing board meeting will be held virtually at 5:30 p.m. on Aug. 17 and will be livestreamed on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/user/LESD79.

As of Aug. 13, the district was reporting 88 positive COVID cases and 523 COVID exposures on campus schools and district sites. 

Click here to view reported COVID cases by campus. 

LESD has 17 elementary and middle schools with over 10,200 students across Litchfield Park, Goodyear, Buckeye, Avondale and parts of Glendale.

Madeline Ackley can be reached at mackley@iniusa.org or found on Twitter @Mkayackley.