Large Arizona school district to defy state law, require masks for all

(The Center Square) – One of Arizona’s largest public school districts has decided to defy state law and require all students to wear masks regardless of COVID-19 vaccination status.

The governing board for the Tucson Unified School District, a K-12 public school system that serves about 39,000 students, voted unanimously Wednesday morning to require masks for teachers, staff and all students when on campus, regardless of vaccination status.

“This administration will stand unconditionally behind the actions taken by the governing board this morning,” Superintendent Dr. Gabriel Trujillo said. “We made a pledge to you that we would never waiver from viewing this issue as a public health crisis. Not through a political lens, not through a partisan lens, not through the lens of special interest groups.”

Trujillo said the governor’s office and Arizona Legislature had flip-flopped from having the best interest of students in mind to ignoring their interests.

The decision puts the board at odds with a recently enacted state law that says schools can’t mandate masks as a condition of attendance.

The decision came days after the Phoenix Union High School District announced it would change its previous rules that aligned with state law to follow U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidance, disregarding COVID-19 vaccination status in the latest mask mandate for students. Students in the district returned to class Monday.

Gov. Doug Ducey’s office wasn’t immediately available for comment on Wednesday’s vote, but a spokesperson for the governor responded to the previous decision, saying the local edicts aren’t enforceable since they disobey state mandates.

“Arizona is not anti-mask, we’re anti-mask mandate,” spokesperson CJ Karamargin. “As the governor has often said, mask usage is up to parents. If a parent wants their child to wear a mask at school, they are free to do so. This is not a state decision.”

Public comment Wednesday was polarized, with some saying they would pull their student if the district didn’t mandate masks. Others were hostile to the board’s decision, saying they’re breaking the law.

“You will be met with legal action from parents,” parent Amber Norris said.

Others criticized Ducey and the Legislature.

“I strongly oppose the irresponsible and dangerous proclamation of the governor of Arizona, which attempts to prevent implementation of public health measures for the control of COVID-19 in our schools and elsewhere,” wrote Dr. Charles Sanner, a local doctor who said he has a granddaughter in the district.

Some educators feared the mask mandate would cause a drop in enrollment.

“If enrollment falls because parents say no to masks, TUSD needs to guarantee no layoffs for the school year,” wrote a teacher who staff referred to as Mr. Roberts.

Several others took exception to the board’s dismissal of state law just because they do not agree with it.

“Mark my words, I am no longer asking for permission,” John Stephenson wrote. “Is it OK for our kids to disobey rules if they don’t agree with it?”

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