Scottsdale Unified School District Keeps Mask Mandate

SCOTTSDALE, AZ — Scottsdale Unified School District joined others in the state in continuing with its mask mandate, in spite of Gov. Doug Ducey's executive order ending enforcement of the measure.

In a letter sent to parents and staff, SUSD's leadership team said its decision stemmed from the district's belief in following the Centers for Disease Control's advice on preventing the spread of the COVID-19 virus.

"Today, Governor Doug Ducey and the Arizona Department of Health Services have taken action to rescind orders requiring school districts to implement face covering policies," SUSD's letter says. "Both state that school districts should continue to implement mitigation strategies as recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

"...SUSD has been committed to taking steps to provide in-person learning opportunities while working to mitigate potential spread of COVID-19 on our campuses. To date, these mitigation strategies have allowed us to welcome back 85% of our students for in-person learning."

The district's letter came hours after Ducey tweeted out his executive order, which he said was due to the steps that teachers, families and students have taken to act responsibly to stop the spread of the virus.

New: In alignment with @CDCgov guidance, I’m rescinding orders that direct K-12 schools to require masks. 1/
— Doug Ducey (@dougducey) April" class="redactor-linkify-object">https://twitter.com/dougducey/... 19, 2021

The district counters in its statement to parents and staff that most of the district's ZIP codes are in the 'substantial' transmission category.

"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.

"Accordingly, it is the expectation that students and staff will continue to wear masks while on school property, with the previously noted exceptions for recess and physical education, in order to ensure we end the school year strong and in-person."

Here's a running list of the school districts in the state of Arizona that still require masks inside schools:

• Scottsdale Unified School District
• Tucson Unified School District
• Tolleson Union High School District
• Peoria Unified School District
• Mesa Public Schools

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.