Tucson's largest school district plans to open schools for hybrid in-person learning on Nov. 12, following a split vote by the governing board.
A TUSD survey found that 45% of families wanted to start hybrid, which will have cohorts of children split into morning and afternoon sessions, while 71% of teachers said they did not want to go back into the classroom with coronavirus cases on the rise yet again.
The fear that TUSD teachers have to return to the classroom is one of the reasons Tucson Unified Board Member Rachael Sedgwick has been asking the district to wait until January or later to open.
This video offers some pros and cons of online education, as many schools and universities have suspended in-person classes due to the spread of the coronavirus.
Board Member Adelita Grijalva also voted against the November date, saying she couldn’t approve something that she doesn’t even feel is safe for her own children.
Board Members Bruce Burke, Leila Counts and Kristel Foster voted in favor of the Nov. 12 start date.
Two of the drivers to open campuses are that students struggle more in remote learning and a worsening decline in student enrollment, which could create some hard financial decisions for the district.
TUSD, which last year had 45,000 students, has already seen a 5.7% enrollment loss, or 2,500 students, which could mean a minimum of a $15 million budget reduction next year.
Superintendent Gabriel Trujillo said this budget shortfall would mean “structural level cuts that are going to be very, very difficult conversations.”
And the loss could be greater than $15 million. During just three weeks in October, TUSD lost about 450 students. Trujillo said he’s heard from principals that some families are leaving because the district isn’t open and other Tucson-area schools are.
“There have been families that have not been happy not having full-time supervision of their kids,” he said.
But the hybrid model is still not full-time supervision. In TUSD, it will be half days, and in many districts students are only on campus two days a week.
The Pima County Health Department supports school districts holding in-person hybrid instruction, and every other major school district in Tucson has reopened, though TUSD has a much larger student body and geographical footprint than any other district locally.
Tucson Unified will continue to defer to the local health department on whether Nov. 12 continues to be a safe day to begin hybrid learning.
Photos: Back-to-school in Tucson during the pandemic
"Mustang Stampede"
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Maddy Jacobs, 7, middle, reaches for her remote learning tool kit from her teacher, Kris Green, as her friend, Carly Kupinski, 6, watches during a "Mustang Stampede" at Manzanita Elementary School for the first day of school on August 17, 2020.
First Day of School, John B. Wright Elementary
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Augusta Iranzi, center, attends his teachers online class while monitors Jasmine Phillip, left, and Nadifo Yusuf, watch students inside a classroom at John B. Wright Elementary School, 4311 E. Linden St., in Tucson, Ariz. on August 17, 2020. About 10 students came to school for online instruction under the guidance of classroom monitors.
"Mustang Stampede"
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Lily Baser, 8, identifies herself for easy remote learning tool kit pickup during a "Mustang Stampede" at Manzanita Elementary School for the first day of school on August 17, 2020.
"Mustang Stampede"
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Krista Westmoreland, left, a third grade teacher, shows the remote learning tool kit of a student to Anna Ames, music teacher, during the "Mustang Stampede" at Manzanita Elementary School for the first day of school on August 17, 2020.
"Mustang Stampede"
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Maya Brown, 9, rides in style for her remote learning tool kit pickup during a "Mustang Stampede" at Manzanita Elementary School for the first day of school on August 17, 2020.
"Mustang Stampede"
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Multiage teachers Kris Green left, and April Pollow greet and cheer on their students during a "Mustang Stampede" at Manzanita Elementary School for the first day of school on August 17, 2020.
"Mustang Stampede"
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Maddy Jacobs, 7, left, waves to her teacher as she stands in the sunroof with her friend, Carly Kupinski, 6, during a "Mustang Stampede" to pickup their remote learning tool kit at Manzanita Elementary School for the first day of school on August 17, 2020.
"Mustang Stampede"
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For the first day of school teachers at Manzanita Elementary School greeted their students during a "Mustang Stampede" and handed out remote learning tool kits on August 17, 2020.
"Mustang Stampede"
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Kim Boling, principal at Manzanita Elementary School, greets her students and parents with a mustang during the "Mustang Stampede" for the first day of school on August 17, 2020.
First Day of School, John B. Wright Elementary
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Yarani Martinez gives a monitor a thumbs up to inform the monitor that his online class is working after classes began at John B. Wright Elementary School, 4311 E. Linden St., in Tucson, Ariz. on August 17, 2020. About 10 students came to school for online instruction under the guidance of classroom monitors.
First Day of School, John B. Wright Elementary
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Alice Flores, right, watches as her grandson Jesus Silva is escorted to the cafeteria before classes began at John B. Wright Elementary School, 4311 E. Linden St., in Tucson, Ariz. on August 17, 2020. About 10 students came to school for online instruction under the guidance of classroom monitors.
First Day of School, John B. Wright Elementary
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Augusta Iranzi follows the directions on the floor while being escorted to a classroom at John B. Wright Elementary School, 4311 E. Linden St., in Tucson, Ariz. on August 17, 2020. About 10 students came to school for online instruction under the guidance of classroom monitors.
