Rain. If they do mandate masks, we will be pulling our children out of SUSD, Santiago said before the meeting. Rep. Travis Grantham, R-Gilbert, echoed that sentiment. American Diabetes Association Alert Day Are You At Risk? The legislation prohibited schools from requiring masks during school hours "The Legislature is given a lot of discretion, a lot of wiggle room.''. Lane eventually allowed Scottsdales mandate to lapse in September in favor of the countys regulations, but new Mayor David Ortega reinstated the citys mandate when he took office in January. Chance of rain 100%. Scottsdale Unified required masks right up to the end of the school year. Weve passed all of this into law, and it will not change. Scottsdale Area Pets Who Need A Home: Meet Gumdrop, George, Lotus & More, Scottsdale Jobs: See Who's Hiring In The Area, Shop The Scottsdale Farmers Market Like A Pro, Info Here. High 61F. That's almost 10 percent of the district's student population. All Inclusive! The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends face coverings based on personal preference and personal level of risk. Masks are not mandated in Arizona, but hotels, restaurants, retails store and attractions may encourage or require them. Now theyre saying, actually weve given you the choice for 10 days but now we think we know best so were now going to force the mandate even though we said we would allow you to choose, Solem said. Share with Us. COVID-19 Testing Dr. Stephanie Jackson, senior vice president at HonorHealth, says the removal of this mandate may reverse the progress we have made to stop the spread of COVID-19 here in Maricopa County. The district counters in its statement to parents and staff that most of the district's ZIP codes are in the 'substantial' transmission category. Our seven-day trailing average has increased a little bit, said Dr. Joshua LaBaer, executive director of Arizona State Universitys Biodesign Institute. Never miss an issue. Scottsdale Area Pets Who Need A Home: Meet Gumdrop, George, Lotus & More, Scottsdale Jobs: See Who's Hiring In The Area, Shop The Scottsdale Farmers Market Like A Pro, Info Here. Scottsdale Unified School District is keeping its mask mandate in effect for now after a Mar. Winds could occasionally gust over 40 mph. April" class="redactor-linkify-object">https://twitter.com/dougducey/ Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts. They wanted to flex their muscles and so they made sure that that was put into the budget reconciliation bill and now districts and parents are going to have to live with it.. Solem believes that the district already has plenty of good mitigation strategies in place, without a mask requirement. Notifications from this discussion will be disabled. Winds SSW at 10 to 20 mph. each comment to let us know of abusive posts. I think we should have masks on until this is over with. Don't knowingly lie about anyone As we work toward that and as we are encouraged by the current trends, we are not there yet. Hawaii, Oregon, New Mexico, Illinois, Washington and Washington DC have kept most mask requirements in place, though some of those rules are likely to expire within the next several weeks. Now, she said, the use of hospital and intensive-care beds is way down, and Christ said many of the people who are most at risk, meaning the elderly, already have been vaccinated. Don't knowingly lie about anyone Maintain at least 6 feet of space between yourself and others when visiting local businesses. Students will be able to attend school. accounts, the history behind an article. Chance of rain 100%.. Cloudy. Winds SW at 15 to 25 mph. Concerned parents asked SUSD about the screening description. Parents opposing mask mandates bombard school districts with sham legal claims Feb. 21, 202202:35 The parents claims were baseless. You have permission to edit this article. It failed to get the necessary votes when it was considered as a separate measure. California's indoor mask mandate is set to expire Feb. 15, Gov. Solem trusted that the district would follow through on what she said were multiple promises it made over the summer to ensure that masks would be optional. Low near 40F. The measure prohibits a county, city, town, school district governing board or charter school governing body from requiring students or staff use face coverings during school hours and on school property.. Use the 'Report' link on Sign up for free today. racist or sexually-oriented language. In a blistering opinion Monday, Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Katherine Cooper voided the ban on mask and vaccine mandates along with a number of other measures Republicans had tacked onto the state budget bill with no hearings in the waning days of the session. There is still work to be done as we prepare to move to phase two.. You have permission to edit this article. Notifications from this discussion will be disabled. Be Proactive. By Paul Maryniak and Wayne Schutsky, Progress News Staff, The ban deprives districts of a tool many relied on to help reduce, The issue came to a head at an SUSD school board meeting on May 18 when a group of unruly attendees including some Scottsdale parents as well as outside groups like the conservative Patriot Party of Arizona and Purple for Parents , Centers For Disease Control And Prevention, Maricopa County Department Of Public Health. These States Have COVID-19 Mask MandatesAlabama. Gov. Alaska. The Alaska Department of Health and Social Services encouraged mask wearing anytime social distancing is challenging, but no official mandate at the state level has been in place.American Samoa. Effective Feb. Arizona. On Nov. Arkansas. California. Colorado. Connecticut. Delaware. District of Columbia. More items Monday was the district's ninth day of school this year. Duceys executive order did not impact schools. Never miss an issue. SUSD is prohibited by Arizona law (A.R.S. Notifications from this discussion will be disabled. person will not be tolerated. Notifications from this discussion will be disabled. Folks, this is getting away from us, Hart-Wells said. each comment to let us know of abusive posts. that is degrading to another person. High 61F. Scottsdale 's neighbor to the east, the Town of Fountain Hills, is dropping its mask requirements for town buildings as of Jan. 1, 2022. PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK. I would think that based on these arguments these states would have dead people piled up all over their state because no one else would be living because no one has masks on, Chaplik continued. SCOTTSDALE, AZ Scottsdale Unified students will have to don face masks at school, beginning Aug. 20. Rainfall around a quarter of an inch. or anything. All Inclusive! There are places where owners wanted to do the right thing, and used the governments requirement as the heavy; now, they cant use that, so they have to decide Im going to fight my customers, so Ill just give up, he said. Maricopa County is expected to vote on whether to extend their mandate on Oct. 7. Rain. Put distance between yourself and other people, at least 6 feet. Scottsdale Advantage This bill is simply about not making 16-year-old waiters and waitresses police officers enforcing a criminal mask statute, he said. person will not be tolerated. On the same day of SUSDs announcement, Ducey doubled downon the assertion that there wouldnt be any mask mandates in schools. Mask mandate was rarely enforced in Scottsdale, By Wayne Schutsky, Progress Managing Editor. And that includes most K-12 students, especially those in lower grades who have not been cleared by the Food and Drug Administration to get COVID shots. The violators are given a verbal warning and an opportunity to comply with the law. Nothing prevents parents from making their own child wear a mask in school. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts. They know its harmful they being (state health) director Cara Christ and Governor Ducey. Rep. Bret Roberts, R-Maricopa, expressed similar beliefs. Have a face mask handy based on your personal preference and in case of requirements. What is clear and Cooper could void is has been practice of lawmakers to pile various issues into various end-of-session "reconciliation'' bills for years. racist or sexually-oriented language. Use the 'Report' link on Rainfall around a quarter of an inch. He said allowing people to ignore such an order sends a bad message. In defending the laws, attorney Patrick Irvine argued that the Legislature has used this procedure for years and that there really is no definition of what is a "reconciliation'' bill. But Osborne, who provided the crucial -- and required -- 31st vote for the measure, said she had to side with her colleagues. It is spread through exchange of bodily fluids, normally sexual transmission or sores from open wounds and also can be spread through sharing infected needles. Watch a non-stop stream of breaking news, live events and stories across the nation. There was a specific question regarding whether [the CDC order] applied to school buses [] the CDC confirmed that the order applies to school buses, whether they are operated by the district or by a private provider, wrote SUSD. "It's just a behavior we have to change and try and stay safe.". State Senator Michelle Ugenti-Rita (R-Scottsdale) responded to parents concerned over SUSDs decision to break state law with a mask mandate. Keep it Clean. We are entering fall season when we know people are going to be indoors and we are starting to see rising number of cases in university systems," Dr. Jackson said. SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. There were two main camps at a rally in Scottsdale Wednesday: people against wearing masks and people against being told to wear masks. Chance of rain 100%. each comment to let us know of abusive posts. This will cause problems in the fall with the Legislature out of session., While the measure does not proscribe penalties for entities that violate the ban on mask mandates, it was denounced by former state health director Will Humble, executive director for the Arizona Public Health Association, who called the measure stupid., Its harmful, its ill-advised. He said that decision left districts in a no-win situation where it had to deal with angry parents who were fighting us every step of the way on this on both sides people who wanted masks all the time, people who wanted social distancing all the time, people who wanted the schools to remain closed, and then people on the other side who just didnt want any of that.. But our health officials again this year took no action, so I think its a bad policy.. The measure prohibiting mask mandates at schools was added to the annual spending plan late in the legislative session to win the votes of a handful of Republican lawmakers who said they wouldnt support the $12,8 billion spending plan absent that provision. The largest spike was in 85259, which had 82 new cases per 100,000 from March 21 to March 27, up from 43 the week prior. Kids cant manage to keep a mask clean, she said. Any districts that currently have mask mandates can repeal them by August 27 to be eligible for the funding. We'd love to hear eyewitness If they work, how are people still catching COVID? he asked. Keep it Clean. The Maricopa County data, which also break down partially and fully vaccinated people, show that 46 percent of county residents are fully vaccinated. Winds SSW at 10 to 20 mph. He said the district will continue to implement other mitigation measures and stay in communication with the Maricopa County Department of Public Health. Chance of rain 100%.. Cloudy. Tag your photos to share your Scottsdale stories. Don't Threaten. A first-term Scottsdale legislator convinced colleagues last week to let businesses ignore mask mandates to stem the spread of COVID by arguing that they You have permission to edit this article. Follow her on Twitter, @CorinneMurdock or email tips to corinnejournalist@gmail.com. Though Greenburg has long said districts are not the best bodies to craft those mask policies, he was still critical of last month's move by the legislature and governor. And it comes as the more contagious Delta variant of the virus looms as a threat. Rain. accounts, the history behind an article. Winds SW at 15 to 25 mph. Airport Safety Protocols Many continue to follow public health recommendations, though the protocols may vary by business. Scottsdale was one of the first cities in the state to adopt a mandate in June after Governor Doug Ducey issued an order allowing them to put their own mask requirements in place. Scottsdale Unified required masks right up to the end of the school year. Check back for updates. Chance of rain 100%.. Cloudy. Afirst-term Scottsdale legislator convinced colleagues last week to let businesses ignore mask mandates to stem the spread of COVID by arguing that they werent needed decades ago to stop the spread of AIDS. The vote came over the objections of several lawmakers who said the measure ignores evidence of how masks, properly worn, help curb the spread of the disease that has so far killed half a million Americans, including more than 16,000 in Arizona. Don't knowingly lie about anyone Its dangerous in that it just spreads so much easier but once you get it, its not worse than Alpha.. Low near 40F. On Friday, Mesa Public Schools announced a phased approach to ending the district's mandatory mask policy. Violations of the county order carry a $50 fine. TUCSON, AZ Face masks will no longer be required in public places in Pima County, after Feb. 28. While the city of Scottsdale decided to end its mask mandate, Maricopa County's is still in place, causing much confusion and worry. The Scottsdale Unified School Board voted 4-1 to implement a mask mandate for its 28 school campuses and district facilities after a more than three-hour SUSD officials responded that the description was part of a standard waiver form that wasnt tailored for SUSD use, and that the screener wouldnt acquire any of the information listed on the description. We have a proven solution with the vaccine. that is degrading to another person. But he said Ducey should have left the mandates in place for another six to eight weeks, at least until a larger percentage of young people are vaccinated because they are transmitting it to others who are dying.. We look forward to welcoming you whenever youre ready to travel! PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK. Behavior in public affects everyonewhen you wear a mask, if the other people are not wearing masks, youre certainly at higher risk of getting infected than if both parties are wearing masks, he said. Be Nice. that is degrading to another person. "We are 28 school days from the end of the 2020-2021 school year, and while we know there are people who would like us to remove the mask requirement now, SUSD's 15 ZIP codes remain in the substantial transmission category and the number of cases has been slowly increasing over the past few weeks," SUSD's statement reads. Use the 'Report' link on "I don't agree with it. accounts, the history behind an article. Embry Health and Neighborhood Outreach Access to Health also provide free testing. You have permission to edit this article. Please note that yesterdays order did not address the mitigation efforts that are required by public and charter schools and did nothing to undo what we, as a school district are required to dowith regard to wearing face masks by students and staff while at school, read a letter to parents by Scottsdale Unified School District on March 26. Ugenti-Rita accused SUSD of siding with the Biden Administration and socialism by imposing an unauthorized mask mandate. Well, this definitely takes away choice from parents," Humble said, adding: "Theres no district in the whole state where they can take their kid especially one who is immunocompromised thats going to have assurances that the faculty and students are going to be wearing masks.. Parents and others jammed the meeting room for Scottsdale Unified Governing Boards meeting Sept. 28, the day after a judge threw out the states ban on mask mandates. Keep it Clean. Her older two children wore masks while attending district schools last year, and they don't want to go back, she said. Court ruling helps keep Scottsdale mask mandate in place. Face coverings still are required in most public places in Scottsdale due to Maricopa County's mask mandate. Individuals who refuse to comply with the Scottsdale order can be charged with a misdemeanor, which can carry a fine of up to $2,500 and a sentence of up to six months in jail. Never miss an issue. A department spokesman said Scottsdale Police took an education first approach. Doug Ducey's executive order Rates are lower for other cities that feed into SUSD, including Tempe, where 48.7 percent of eligible residents are fully vaccinated slightly higher than Phoenixs 45.4 percent, according to data released last week by the county. LaBaer, too, acknowledged that enforcement impacted the effectiveness of mitigation measures, noting that Arizona faced a massive surge in cases over the winter when the mandates were still in effect. When considering only those age 18 and older, that number in Arizona rose to 62.2 percent, according to an analysis from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. New Mayor David Ortega wasted little PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK. Scottsdale Unified School District (SUSD) announced it will require masks on buses a direct violation of state law prohibiting school-enforced mask mandates. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, The bill gives business owners the right to make a decision.. Please contact individual businesses directly if you would like detailed information on their efforts to protect you and other guests. To lift the mask rule now is not prudent, nor does it 'follow the science.' Humble agreed that vaccination rate among seniors is good news. The city lifted the mandate, but Maricopa County's mask mandate is still in place. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, Winds could occasionally gust over 40 mph. The bill doesnt say masks dont work," he said. ucey vowed to withhold $162 million in pandemic relief money for school districts that took advantage of Warners ruling and imposed mask mandates at least until today. Apple Pay, Venmo, PayPal One Touch, etc.) Briana Santiago has three children attending Scottsdale Unified schools, one each in sixth grade, third grade and kindergarten. Should the judges ruling be overturned on appeal, SUSD will follow the law.". each comment to let us know of abusive posts. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism Be Truthful. Other Republicans who voted for the bill did not openly challenge the effectiveness of masks, properly worn, in preventing the spread of disease. Please be patient and kind to staff at our local businesses as they learn and adapt to new procedures. In both Scottsdale and Maricopa County, enforcing the mask mandate will be left up to local police and the method of enforcement will take an educational approach. As they have been throughout the country, the districts mask mandate was a polarizing subject in the community. We'd love to hear eyewitness Periods of rain early. Don't knowingly lie about anyone Be Nice. Her argument has the support of state Superintendent of Public Schools Kathy Hoffman, who on Friday cited a new Centers for Disease Control study that showed the efficacy of masks in curbing COVID-19 infections in schools. Until we have suppressed community spread by vaccinating more individuals, including children under 12, universal masking will continue to be a critical tool in limiting the spread of the virus in our schools.. He added, It has been successful in tamping down the spike in the infection rate, while keeping much of the business economy open in phase one. SUSD parent Amanda Wray tweeted a screenshot of SUSDs district-wide email announcing the mask mandate on Friday. The case before Cooper involved a challenge filed by a coalition of educators, school board members, child welfare advocates to the way the ban on mandates was passed by the Legislature. for your purchases. It is irresponsible ofthe stategovernmenttostand in the way of local leaders making decisions that protect the health and safety of their students and staff. Don't Threaten. We'd love to hear eyewitness There hasnt been any enforcement to speak of so when it comes to bars, restaurants and nightclubsI dont think there is going to be an explosive impact, he said. On a 31-28 party-line vote, the House approved legislation that says business owners need not enforce any state, city, town or county requirement for people to wear a mask. Doug Ducey's executive order ending enforcement of the measure. The news is welcomed or anything. Winds SSW at 10 to 20 mph. Three medical professionals Dr. Cadey Harrel, family physician in Tucson and the Arizona State Lead for the Committee to Protect Health Care; Dr. Ricardo Correa, an endocrinologist in Phoenix; and Dr. Elizabeth Jacobs, professor of epidemiology held a press conference last week to condemn the ban on mask mandates. "It is not strictly applied,'' he argued. There are no travel restrictions or quarantine requirements in Arizona. 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There wouldnt be any mask mandates bombard school districts with sham legal claims Feb. 21, 202202:35 the parents were. Is still in place to parents concerned over SUSDs decision to break state law a. ( SUSD ) announced it will not change Wayne Schutsky, Progress Editor... This article your personal preference and in case of requirements while attending district schools last,! Ugenti-Rita accused SUSD of siding with the law. `` by August 27 to done... Visiting local businesses as they learn and adapt to new procedures be patient and kind to staff our! Little please TURN OFF your CAPS LOCK Diabetes Association Alert day are You at Risk two main camps at rally.