Guidance to Schools on COVID-19

Dear Arizona families, educators, school leaders, and education community members,

In our roles as Governor and Superintendent of Public Instruction, we stand united in working with you to keep Arizona’s kids, families, and school communities safe and healthy.

Over the past few weeks and in coordination with public health officials, we have been in close communication with school administrators to provide guidance and be a resource as it relates to the recent outbreak of COVID-19. The health and safety of all our students is our top priority, and we’ve worked hard to keep our school doors open — these are important assets in people’s lives and many families rely on them for nutrition and access to health care.

Both of our staffs have been working together in partnership through the weekend, and we’ve been in touch with educational leaders on the frontlines. Currently, staffing and potential absences are a concern in many districts. Many schools and school districts have announced closures.

Today, we are jointly announcing the closure of all schools from Monday, March 16, 2020 through Friday, March 27, 2020. We will continue to work together and assess this situation on a 24/7 basis.

It’s important for families and parents to know that while this will address operational issues, doing this will not stop the spread of COVID-19.

The safest place for children during this time is at home. They should not be cared for by elderly adults or those with underlying health conditions, including grandparents and other family members.

Additionally, we are committed to working together to minimize the impact of these closures. To that end, we are assembling resources and forming community partnerships that will reduce the impact of these closures on families, teachers, and school communities.

Efforts are underway to ensure that any child has access to meals while schools are closed. We have also worked with USDA to allow schools to begin summer food service operations and provide boxed meals as needed. Your local school will have more information about how and where to access meals.

We understand many parents have questions about childcare options. It is the recommendation of public health officials that kids who are not at school remain at home to the greatest extent possible. For families for whom that’s not an option, we are coordinating with partners in the non-profit, faith-based and education communities to make available childcare options to families who need it.

For our dedicated school employees, we’re working together to make sure you don’t see any disruption to your pay. We’ll also be consulting with our district and legislative partners to determine the extent of any potential makeup days.

Many parents, teachers, and administrators may have questions about statewide testing. We’re currently engaging with our federal partners in the event that we need to secure a waiver.

The Department of Education will provide additional guidance to schools that will be posted to azed.gov. For the latest information about COVID-19, please visit azhealth.gov. This website is updated daily with new information.

We will continue to remain in close contact with state and public health officials to provide the most up-to-date information and ensure that the State of Arizona is doing everything we can to keep every member of our community healthy and safe.

We are asking schools to please adhere to the following measures during this period of closure:

• School administrators should make every effort to provide continued education learning opportunities through online resources or materials that can be sent home.
• School administrators should develop a plan to continue breakfast and lunch services for Arizona students.
• As demand rises on healthcare professionals and first responders, schools should expand child care programs currently available to ensure minimal disruption to these critical jobs as a result of the school closure.
• When school resumes, school administrators should develop and implement precautions to ensure schools are a safe learning environment, including social distancing measures, regular intervals for administrators to wash and sanitize their hands, and guidance on how to properly and frequently sanitize equipment and common surfaces.

Sincerely,

Governor Doug Ducey and Superintendent Kathy Hoffman

Please view our Pandemic Preparedness Guidance to Schools for more information regarding:

• Emergency Operations Plans
• Authority and Decision for School Closure
• Prevention and Mitigation Strategies
• Continuity of Operations (COOP) Planning
• Continuity of Education Instruction
• Special Education Considerations
• Funding Considerations & Make-Up Days
• Continuity of Social Services
• Continuity of Nutrition Services
• School Reopening
• Use of Facilities and Staff by Public Health Authorities

Last updated at 4:00 PM Sunday March 15, 2020

The Arizona Department of Education will be working with schools who intend to continue their meal service programs for children during the time schools are closed due to COVID-19. ADE has received approval from the USDA Food and Nutrition Service to waive the congregate meal requirement of the meal service programs.

On March 14, 2020, FNS granted ADE’s request for non-congregate feeding, as well ADE’s request to serve meals at school sites through the SSO and SFSP during unanticipated school closures associated with the novel coronavirus.

• FNS granted a waiver of the congregate feeding requirement for approved SSO and SFSP sponsors in good standing through June 30, 2020, or upon expiration of the federally declared public health emergency, whichever is earlier.
• This flexibility allows for approved sponsors to provide meals to be taken and consumed offsite, to allow for social distancing during the novel coronavirus.
• FNS waived the requirement that school meal operations must be served at a non-school site during an unanticipated school closure. Waiving this requirement will allow food service staff to prepare meals on school sites for non-congregate consumption during unanticipated school closures that occur due to the coronavirus.
• Schools must be “area eligible” to provide meals. Schools must also make a public announcement regarding their food service plans.

ADE expects to work with additional districts and their meal programs starting this week (March 15, 2020). Through this website and e-mails to district and charter leaders, ADE will provide ongoing information regarding the availability of meals at schools and community locations.

Additional resources and information regarding COVID-19 and food access can be obtained through our community partners including Pinnacle Prevention and the Arizona Food Bank Network, as well as USDA Food and Nutrition Service.

If you have any questions regarding this guidance, please contact Kenny Barnes with our Health and Nutrition Services Unit: kenny.barnes@azed.gov.

The Arizona Department of Education is working with vendors to extend the testing window. We are also currently engaging with our federal partners in the event we need to secure a waiver for statewide testing. We will provide additional guidance to schools around testing, instructional time, and other matters in the coming days and weeks on this webpage.

More information on the provision of Special Education services amid school closures can be found in our Pandemic Preparedness Guidance document.

Students with disabilities have rights under various federal and state laws, most notably the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (Section 504), and the Americans with Disabilities Act (the ADA).​

These laws collectively provide such students with the right to special education and related services that are appropriate for their needs as well as the reasonable accommodations and modifications they need to access those offerings.​These are essential civil rights protections for vulnerable children.

In the event of a school closure as a result of a pandemic, schools must serve the needs of children with disabilities.​ Schools should consider how they will work with parents of children with disabilities during a closure. ​

Each student’s IEP team should consider if/how special education and related services will be provided during a closure. Schools should take into consideration alternate methods for providing educational services to children with disabilities, such as home visits, teleservices, homework packets, or Internet-based lessons.

The Arizona Department of Education is working with education leaders at the local, state and federal level to provide guidance to schools regarding high school graduation. We will provide additional guidance to schools in the coming days and weeks on this webpage.

The Arizona Department of Education is committed to providing guidance to schools, teachers, and families as they navigate school closures related to COVID-19.

Please visit our Frequently Asked Questions document which we are updating in real-time as information and answers become available.