March 2, 2020 – With growing concerns over the coronavirus and outbreaks of COVID19, below are resources for Arizona school districts and schools. Currently, there are no active cases in Maricopa County according to the Maricopa County Health Department. However, many districts have constituents asking about this issue and the districts are in a mode of preparation.

School districts have clear authority to exclude students who are contagious under Governing Board Policy JLCC re Communicable/Infectious Diseases and have an obligation to report to the County Health Department under A.R.S. § 36-621.

One school in the Seattle area closed last week. If your district is required to close schools (either by order of the County Health Department or by district initiative), the district may be required to alter its calendar to meet requirements regarding hours of instruction. School district employment contracts are typically written to allow districts as much flexibility as possible in terms of extending or altering the school year.

The following websites and documents may be of assistance.

• Johns Hopkin’s Global Assessment
• Information from the Center for Disease Control (CDC)
• Information from the Maricopa County Health Department
• FAQ from the Maricopa County Health Department about COVID19
• Checklist from the CDC regarding preparing for a pandemic

For more information or questions, please contact any of our Education Law attorneys listed below.

Robert D. Haws | 602-257-7976 | rhaws@gustlaw.com
Jennifer N. MacLennan | 602-257-7475 | maclennan@gustlaw.com
Carrie L. O’Brien | 602-257-7414 | obrien@gustlaw.com
Susan Plimpton Segal | 602-257-7425 | spsegal@gustlaw.com
Brittany J. Reed | 602-257-7963 | reed@gustlaw.com