CHANDLER, Ariz. — The Chandler Unified School District has decided to masks will be required on school grounds while students and staff are indoors.
The district’s governing board made the decision in a special meeting on Wednesday.
On Monday, Gov. Doug Ducey lifted mask requirements for Arizona’s K-12 schools, leaving districts to make their own decisions.
In a 3-2 vote, Chandler’s governing board decided to require masks indoors on school campuses, while allowing masks to be optional outdoors for PreK-6th grade and during outside P.E. classes for 7th-12th grade. The board’s motion will still require students to wear masks during indoor P.E. classes for 7th-12th grade.
The board decided that come summer school, masks will be optional. The board members that were against the decision were concerned about the summer school provision, saying it’s not completely known what COVID-19 metrics will look like in Arizona.
However, the board has allowed for the superintendent to make adjustments to the masking requirements as needed.
Many of Arizona’s school districts have kept masks in place after Ducey removed the mask mandate.
However, others like J.O. Combs Unified School District, Queen Creek Unified School District and some charter schools have decided to make masks optional.