On Sunday, Arizona State Senator Michelle Ugenti-Rita called out Governor Doug Ducey after the Scottsdale Unified School District announced 5 schools would be closed this week due to a staffing shortages.
Ugenti-Rita tweeted: “@dougducey you got played. You gave them everything they asked for, 20×2020 and for what..? They are walking out on our kids.”
@dougducey you got played. You gave them everything they asked for, 20×2020 and for what..? They are walking out on our kids. https://t.co/P2DrBbheV3
— Michelle Ugenti-RITA (@MichelleUgenti) November 30, 2020
Ugenti-Rita was referring in her tweet to an increase in school funding secured two years ago through a package proposed by the governor. Critics argue the additional funding did nothing to improve educational services for students.
Arcadia High School, Chaparral High School, Desert Mountain High School, Cocopah Middle School and Mountainside Middle School will close on Monday, November 30, due to a lack of staffing, according to the District.
All other Scottsdale Unified campuses, offices and facilities remain open and operating for normal activity.
In a message to parents, Superintendent Scott Menzel admitted that “closures are not the result of any known COVID outbreaks in our schools.”
“Unfortunately, we have learned over the weekend that we do not have an adequate number of teachers or substitutes to cover all teacher absences tomorrow,” wrote Menzel. “As a result, the District will close the following schools for one day: Arcadia High School, Chaparral High School, Desert Mountain High School, Cocopah Middle School and Mountainside Middle School. We cannot ask our students to come to school for in-person instruction unless we can provide it safely and meaningfully. The lost day of instruction will likely need to be made up at the end of the school year. Please note that although tomorrow’s closures are not the result of any known COVID outbreaks in our schools, this decision is consistent with our commitment to individually evaluate each school’s ability to remain open. Should further closures be required, the District will strive to provide timely communication to affected families. All other SUSD schools will be open tomorrow, as planned.”