DVUSD Schools Remain Closed

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UPDATE 6:30 p.m. — The educator walkout that began Thursday, April 26 will continue into Tuesday, May 1, and all Deer Valley Unified School District schools are closed. “We continue to be closed indefinitely,” district spokesperson Monica Allread said Monday afternoon. “Parents will be notified by phone and email no later than 7:30 p.m. on the evening before the day we reopen,” the district said on its walkout FAQ page.

It is not yet clear when the walkout will end, but state legislators say they may vote on proposal Wednesday or Thursday.

“All schools will remain closed indefinitely—until we can assure that 75% of certified staff will report to work,” DVUSD says.

What Happened?

Leaders of the #RedForED movement on Friday dismissed Gov. Doug Ducey’s latest proposal for pay increases and additional funding for education, saying they wanted to see a bill, not just a proposal.

“Governor Ducey and his friends in the legislature still have not released their ‘deal’ to add funding for Arizona’s schools, so tomorrow we’ll be back at the Capitol,” the Arizona Education Association said in a tweet Sunday.

State legislators plan to release details of the latest plan today, said House Speaker J.D. Mesnard. He said it will demonstrate “that this is real… The funding for it is not based solely on economic projections that may or may not materialize.”

“Arizona’s economy is thriving,” Ducey tweeted Monday evening. “We have the revenue to give our teachers a 20% pay increase, and restore recession-era cuts to K-12. Let’s get this done.”

[For more on the educator’s demands and Gov. Ducey’s proposal, see our #RedForEd FAQ.]

If the walkout is called off or an agreement is worked out, DVUSD would quickly survey teachers. “As soon as we know that we have enough teachers to safely reopen schools, we will contact parents to let them know when classes would resume,” district spokesperson Monica Allread said Friday.

Helping Out

DVUSD is offering free breakfast and lunch starting today, and throughout the school closures, to all students at several locations. [Details]

The city of Phoenix will extend hours at 24 of its recreation centers today from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., “to provide a safe option for families with children ages 6 to 17 who are affected by the closures,” the city said Sunday. On Monday, the City said it would extend the service to Tuesday. [Details]

Several local organizations that offered daycare at low cost or free on April 26 are not extending the service.