GOODYEAR, AZ — A West Valley mom reached out to ABC15 after she said her daughter’s PE class was scheduled outside during the hottest part of the day.
Judith Coronel says when she picked up her fifth-grade daughter from Odyssey Preparatory Academy at the start of the school year, she was concerned with what she saw.
“She was so overheated that her body was starting to turn red,” Coronel said. “She said… we were outside and had to run a lap and after we ran our lap, we could sit under the tree, so where I had to sit there was no shade and I had to sit in the sun.”
She says she called the school but didn’t get a clear answer on what their PE policy was. So she sent an email to the State Board for Charter Schools wanting to file a complaint and was told the board can only address legal violations. She says the board told her they do not have authority over school-level decisions, such as inclement weather policies.
“I started doing research and that’s when I found your article,” Coronel said.
Back in 2019, ABC15 reported on what schools do on extreme heat days to keep kids safe. At the time, we highlighted how many schools keep kids inside when the heat index reaches a certain level. But there is no state law requiring it.
ABC15 followed up with the Arizona State Board of Education and found out that’s still true. The only statute on the books is that districts have to enforce policies put in place by a private entity, like the Arizona Interscholastic Association, which manages youth sports.
“It’s just not fair. They can’t advocate for themselves. So we as parents have to say something and when something is wrong we have to stand up for them,” Coronel said.
A spokesperson with the Arizona State Board for Charter Schools sent ABC15 the following statement: “Based on Board staff’s knowledge, Arizona Revised Statutes do not provide any requirements for schools as it relates to policies regarding heat. Although the Arizona Department of Health Services provides recommendations to schools and publishes a heat index and general guidance for schools to consider in developing and approving policies, it does not regulate school policies in this area. While the Arizona State Board for Charter Schools cares deeply about the health and safety of its students, it does not have the authority to dictate or mandate school policies related to heat.”
According to the ABC15 meteorologists, the day Coronel’s daughter had PE outside in the middle of August, the recorded high in Phoenix was 110º. Although Coronel says at 3 p.m. in Goodyear, the temperature was about 107º.
Schools leaders at Odyssey said they would not do an interview, but they sent ABC15 their PE policy which states that during their 45-minute class, students rotate between the gym, playground, and track. A spokesperson added that they prioritize keeping students in shaded areas, but they couldn’t “speak to the exact spot vs. sun exposure in which (Coronel’s daughter was) standing during that portion of the class.”
Read the full policy below:
Coronel says she wants to know why there is no legal requirement for schools when it comes to outdoor PE and recess, like the heat safety ordinances recently put in place in Phoenix and other parts of Arizona giving protections for outdoor workers.
A spokesperson for the Arizona State Board of Education said it would be most appropriate for any legislative changes to be helmed by the Governor's Office, Arizona Department of Health Services, or even the Arizona Department of Education.
ABC15 reached out to the Governor’s Office to ask if they would consider pursuing future legislation, and was referred to Governor Katie Hobbs' recently created heat preparedness plan that gives updated recommendations to schools on how to handle extreme heat.
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ABC15 also reached out to State Superintendent Tom Horne, who provided the following statement: “Decisions such as these are typically made at the local level since Arizona is a local control state. I would consider supporting legislation that appealed to me, and that districts and charters find reasonable to implement.”
Coronel says she has since taken her daughter out of Odyssey and placed her in a different school.
If you want to see your school's policy, The Arizona School Board Association has a database with thousands of district policies here.
If your district is not in that database, ASBA says all schools are required to post their policy on their website.
