ARIZONA, USA — The list of Valley school districts without a mask mandate has grown.
Scottsdale Unified School District and Kyrene Elementary School District will no longer require facial coverings for students and staff after the winter break.
“I want to stress that face coverings will remain strongly encouraged when community spread is substantial or high,” said Laura Toenjes, superintendent at Kyrene Elementary School District, in a letter to parents. “Decisions regarding face coverings are subject to change.”
Both districts have high positivity rates, according to the Maricopa County Health Department’s dashboard. Scottsdale Unified School District's rate is 11% and Kyrene Elementary School District's is nearly 15%.
If there’s an outbreak or COVID-19 cases increase at a certain school, the problem and mitigation procedures will be addressed by each school or building, a Scottsdale Unified School District spokesperson told 12 News.
Face coverings will remain mandatory for both students and staff on school buses and district transportation per federal order, the districts said.
Other school districts like Paradise Valley Unified, Tempe Union High School, Glendale Elementary, Laveen, Tempe, and Phoenix Elementary school districts said their mask requirements will stay in place until further notice. Some of these districts have an opt-out option.
The Chandler Unified and Peoria Unified districts haven’t required facial coverings since the summer. Spokespersons from each told 12 News they have no plans of adding new mandates at this time.
Kids among the fewest vaccinated against COVID-19 in Arizona
People 20 years or younger are the least vaccinated in Arizona.
Since COVID-19 vaccines became available, only 25% of that age group has been immunized.
“It’s a little frustrating but at the same time I understand the weariness of people,” said Charlotte Ruiz, a physician assistant at Pleasant Pediatrics. “We’ve had two big waves and we’re just now getting over the hump of the second wave.”
On Nov. 3, Pleasant Pediatrics began administering COVID-19 vaccines to children ages five to 11. Since then, about 7,000 children have been immunized at their clinics.
They are currently vaccinating for the second dose. Cara Daoudi’s 10-year-old son was one of those getting his second shot on Monday.
“This is a very exciting day,” Daoudi said. “It was important for multiple reasons; one is that there’s no mask mandate at school so that’s pretty scary.”
Daoudi’s son is a student in the Peoria Unified School District, who hasn’t required facial coverings since May.
“When we started in school, there was no mandate. It’s been optional this entire year and by optional it means most kids are not wearing their masks,” Daoudi said.
The district has no plans, at this time, to change its mask policy, a spokesperson told 12 News.
“We couldn’t wait to get his,” said Megan Freienmuth, whose 9-year-old son also attends the Peoria district and got his second dose on Monday. “It’s much better to be covered, than not covered at all.”
Freienmuth said her son wears a mask while at school and will continue to do so after he is fully immunized.
“We don’t know where this virus is going to take us so they might change their minds and I’m hoping that’s a possibility,” said Daoudi. “I’m really hopeful we’ll finally come together and realized we all should be doing whatever we can to keep each other safe.”
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