CHANDLER, AZ — More than 46,000 students in the Chandler Unified School District will transition to virtual learning starting Wednesday, with tomorrow now serving as a teacher work day to help families prepare to go digital.
As of now, students are set to resume in-person learning on Tuesday, January 19.
FULL COVERAGE: Safely Back to School in Arizona
Before Monday's meeting, the district planned to resume in-person learning on Tuesday, despite all three of the state's recommended benchmarks being in the substantial spread category. That decision sparked protests from concerned teachers and threats of a sick-out.
People on both sides of the reopening debate addressed the board during Monday's hours-long meeting. Members also expressed their disappointment with a lack of community support in following mitigation protocols.
The board also voted to lower the threshold for percent of positive cases on a campus to temporarily transition to virtual once in-person learning resumes. Starting January 5, elementary schools will be at 1.5%, down from 2%. Junior High Schools would need to hit 1.0% to go virtual, versus 1.5%, and high schools are now at .75%, down from 1.0%.
The board will revisit its metrics and learning models at their next meeting on January 13.
