MUSD keeps COVID protocols, approves raises for staff

Despite all three secondary schools suspending in-person learning for a period of time since Feb. 3, the Maricopa Unified School District Governing Board chose not to make any major changes in the COVID-19 protocols used by the district to determine whether to shut down schools.

Instead, the board opted to study ways to minimize the number of students required to quarantine when there is a positive case, in efforts to avoid an entire class sent home even though the infected individual did not come in close contact with most of the class. The district will look at developing a system that would require quarantine only for those who come within six feet of an infected person.

Superintendent Dr. Tracey Lopeman had initially proposed a minor change dealing with the amount of community spread as defined by the Arizona Department of Health Services. She said the five- to seven-day quarantines are subjective and require a great deal of district manpower to monitor. She also emphasized it still is possible to develop symptoms after the seventh or 10th day. Thus, she recommended maintaining the 14-day quarantine to ensure the safety of students and staff.

“We have limited ability to socially distance at the middle and high school levels, she said. “We can’t corral students with reliable effectiveness.”

Since students have lunch and passing periods, Pinal County recommended quarantining whole classes. “I know that’s difficult, and for some people unpopular,” she said.

Lopeman noted the district held a staff vaccination event on Feb. 1 in partnership with Sun Life Family Health Center. She said 180 employees received their initial dose of the vaccine and were scheduled for their second dose on March 1. A similar event is scheduled for Feb. 18 with 35 vaccination appointments available.

Board member Torri Anderson asked whether 180 were inoculated because that many doses were available, or if that was the total number of employees who wanted the vaccine. Lopeman’s response – that was the number who requested to be vaccinated – drew a fiery response from vice president AnnaMarie Knorr.

“I appreciate that the district is providing the opportunity for staff to get vaccinated,” she said. “I also appreciate the fact that we are not forcing our staff to get vaccinated, because that’s a personal choice.”

She suggested, however, that after employees get their second dose and the vaccine reaches full effectiveness, the district halt staff quarantines because everyone had the opportunity to protect themselves and their families.

“At a certain point it is not my job to protect someone else from themselves,” Knorr continued. “They get to make that choice and if they’ve had the opportunity, then we need to move forward.”

Anderson said the new protocols will be tough on teachers, but believes it is the best option now to avoid larger quarantines or closures.

“Hopefully that’s doable,” she said. “I know that puts more of a burden on teachers, so I don’t know how doable it is, but at least an option that gets us through to spring break when there are more people vaccinated. I wish it were easy. It’s not easy to say, ‘Oh yeah, the teachers are vaccinated so we should be in school all the time.’”

In other business, the board voted unanimously to give across-the-board raises of 5 percent to all certified, classified and administrative employees for the 2021-22 school year. There also will be an additional longevity increase based on how long the employee has been with the district. Those who have been with the district for five to nine years will receive an additional one percent increase, and those with 10 or more years will get two percent.

“I think this is needed,” said board member Jim Jordan. “It fits into our goals to give higher salaries to retain and recruit teachers.”

Anderson agreed.

“Ultimately our goal is to increase our student achievement,” she said. “Ten years ago, we recognized that one way to do that is to retain high quality staff. We made a commitment with human resources and as a board to do what we needed to do to make MUSD the best place to work, first of all, and secondly, to acknowledge and celebrate those teachers for staying in MUSD. That is what is going to continue our student achievement going up.

“I am thoroughly pleased, almost giddy, at the fact that we have been able to retain a high-quality staff for over five years and many more for over 10 years, and that is something Maricopa had not seen since I was (teaching) in school. Our staff was like a revolving door.”