PHOENIX – The Phoenix Union High School District board of directors had a regular board meeting on Thursday evening. Although the mask mandate was not on the agenda, it was discussed a lot.
The Phoenix Union has paved the way for other districts when it comes to enforcing masks regardless of state law.
“You saved lives. There are people who would have died if it hadn’t been for the actions of this district, the great staff, the staff who went out of their way to ensure that students and staff were looked after, ”said Steve Gallardo, board member of the Phoenix District Union High School.
Parents, teachers, and Phoenix Union alumni shared their thoughts over the phone during the public comment. All but one said they were proud of the courageous actions of the district.
“I’m appalled by all of these people who think it’s okay for a school district to rule over parents’ rights. It’s horrific, ”says one parent.
“I would say march on and do the right thing for our mostly poor, black and brown multigenerational households,” says a Phoenix Union graduate.
Many hope that the mask mandate will not be lifted in court. Otherwise, they might consider changing schools or a virtual option.
“At the end of the day we want to feel safe. Before returning to school, my child broke out and said, ‘Mom, I don’t know if I want to go to school.’ You know it’s a tough … it’s a tough place. It’s a difficult place at the moment, ”says parents Denisse Barajas.
Some Phoenix Union students have even started a self-help group for masks called AZMaskateers on Instagram. They hope that they can also bring about change by suggesting further mitigation measures, for example: social distancing with directional arrows in hallways.
“We have to go up and other students come down too. So I feel like there are a lot of gatherings going on, ”says Julissa Quezada & Jhoanna Padilla, Seniors at Metro Tech HS.
English teacher Theresa Pulido says the district’s mask mandate is just one step in a multi-tiered approach.
“I’m a teacher, but also a parent and I feel responsible for the students in my classroom every day,” says Theresa Pulido, teacher at Metro Tech.
She believes there should be more information in order for parents to be well informed.
“How is information given to the parents if there is a positive case? They are told when someone is positive in the classroom – or in school – because in many cases all they can do is find out if that student is within six feet of their students, ”says Pulido.
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