PHOENIX — The Chandler Unified School District's Governing Board will meet next week to assess whether they need to stop in-person instruction due to the rampant spread of the novel coronavirus.
Students are scheduled to return to their classrooms on Tuesday, January 5, but some teachers are planning to call in sick, ABC15 has learned.
Those teachers feel the coronavirus pandemic is so bad right now that the district should move to a virtual learning model immediately.
Teachers in Gilbert Public Schools are also planning a sickout, ABC15 has learned.
In response to the staff's concerns, a committee of school administrators and staff members, and a representative from the Maricopa County Health Department, are planning to meet to review local COVID-19 metrics, gather input, and discuss COVID mitigation strategies.
The Chandler school district's board is scheduled to meet on Wednesday, Jan. 6, at 6 p.m. to discuss the committee's finding and reassess whether in-person instruction is best for its students and staff.
As of Thursday morning, the Chandler Unified School District remained in the substantial category, according to the Maricopa County Health Department's school dashboard, and recommends virtual instruction.
According to the dashboard, the district's percent positivity was 13.18%. The week before, the rate was at 18%.
More than 520,000 cases of COVID-19 have been reported in the state since the pandemic began, according to the Arizona Department of Health Services online dashboard. More than 8,800 people in the state have died.
