Arizona Department of Education’s COVID-19 update on summer programs and personal protective equipment
Dear School Leaders,
Yesterday, we sent the below email regarding summer operations, and I wanted to provide more clarity on this issue. The Governor’s school closure declaration expires at the end of the current academic year in May. Going forward, decisions regarding in-person use of facilities is a local control decision and we urge you to consider the public health guidance linked below as you make plans regarding use of your facilities beginning June 1, 2020.
Sincerely,
Kathy Hoffman, MS, CCC-SLP
Superintendent of Public Instruction
Arizona Department of Education
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Dear School Leaders,
As we wrap up the 2019-2020 school year, I wanted to acknowledge the plans our schools are making to resume school activities on campus.
First, I want to share again that the Arizona Department of Education has convened a Re- Opening Schools Task Force that is set to distribute recommendations by the end of May. This guidance will include a framework for policies and practices related to safely re-opening, as well as a “Distance Learning Guide” to assist schools with offering online and distance learning options. In the meantime, we encourage school leaders to be working on local contingency plans to best meet the unique needs of your community.
Some schools have reached out to me to let me know that they are moving ahead with virtual summer school. Others plan to resume in-person summer school or camps. Allowing staff and students to return to campus is a local-control decision that is up to each individual district or charter.
For those coordinating in-person activities or instruction during the summer, here are a few resources to help with your planning:
The CDC has released decision tools for a variety of settings, including child-care and schools. These are tools that school leaders in these settings may use as they make decisions during the COVID-19 pandemic.
- Readiness and Emergency Management for Schools (REMS) https://rems.ed.gov
- REMS provides many guidance documents that are applicable to all K-12 schools. They also have excellent training programs available on request.
- Decision Tools for Schools and Child Care Programs:
Funding for Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
If your school is planning for in-person summer school activities, we want to make sure you can provide your staff with appropriate PPE materials to ensure their health and safety.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) initiated their Public Assistance (PA) program allowing states to apply for reimbursement of COVID-19 related emergency response and protective measures which have been incurred since January 20, 2020. As a result, the Arizona Department of Emergency and Military Affairs (DEMA) initiated weekly Applicant Briefings in response to the COVID-19 crisis. In order to participate in the PA program and seek reimbursement, it is critical to attend the virtual Applicant Briefing. It is recommended that multiple staff from each applicant attend the briefing. Recommended staff includes leadership/policy, emergency managers, finance, and local elected officials.
For additional information, please contact: Infrastructure@azdema.gov
For a PDF of this information, view HERE.
Obtaining Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
The Arizona Department of Health Services recommends that schools continue to try and obtain PPE through a vendor. If schools are still unable to obtain PPE then they can place a request with the local public health department. Provision of PPE through local public health is not guaranteed.
- For phone numbers for each county health department, visit https://www.azdhs.gov/preparedness/emergency- preparedness/index.php#public-health-contacts
- For Maricopa County: PPE request instructions are posted on their website at Maricopa.gov/coronavirus, click on the healthcare guidance tile, scroll approximately halfway down to find instructions on how to make a request. Please note that there is a high demand at this time and not all orders will be able to be filled or may only be partially filled.
- For Coconino County: Schools can email emergencymanagement@coconino.az.gov
- For Pima County: Schools can email HEOC@Pima.gov
Sincerely,
Kathy Hoffman, MS, CCC-SLP
Superintendent of Public Instruction
Arizona Department of Education
