Tucson Unified School District Moves Forward With Hybrid Learning

TUCSON, AZ — Pima County's largest school district approved a plan Tuesday night for hybrid learning amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic but did not solidify a start date.

The Tuscon Unified School District voted 3-2 to move forward with a hybrid learning model after hours of discussion on the nuanced topic. While no date has been set in stone, the school board has Oct. 19 in mind as a goal date.

“If we put this off, we’re not – I don’t think – really serving the community,” Board Member Bruce Burke, said during the meeting.

The school district will be speaking with parents and teachers over the next few weeks and will have a plan in place by Oct. 6.

The proposed plan will split each class into two different groups. Group A would attend in-person classes on Mondays and Thursdays, while Group B would go on Tuesdays and Fridays.

Wednesdays would be cleaning days to ensure the schools are as safe as possible for students and staff. Students considered high-risk will be exempt and learn from school five days per week; those students are already learning in person.

Under this plan, students will be learning virtually three days out of the week.

The school district is making other moves to allow students some normalcy during a strange time. Cross country and golf teams throughout southern Arizona schools have been authorized to start their shortened seasons. Football, a full contact sport, will not begin until Pima County's virus transmission rate reaches the minimal stage.

Pima County reported 136 new coronavirus cases and four known deaths Thursday, bringing the county's total to 25,140 and 617, respectively.

The school district's staff returned to their offices Sept. 21 and school support staff members are expected back Sept. 28.

If the school board's plan goes through, it will still need to be approved by the Pima County Health Department. The health department did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Several Tucson schools have been forced to close temporarily due to coronavirus outbreaks since in-person classes began for vulnerable students in the district.