Hoffman announces partnership with Arizona Boys and Girls Club, YMCA

PHOENIX — Superintendent Kathy Hoffman on Friday announced a new partnership with the Arizona Boys and Girls Club and YMCA that will give children a safe place for learning.

The partnership is also in collaboration with the Arizona Department of Education and Gov. Doug Ducey’s office.

Following the most recent executive order, schools are required to provide a physical space to complete distance learning for students most at risk.

The partnership will feature a five-week “bridge period” from Aug. 10 to Sept. 11 to help give communities across Arizona a safe place for learning and development.

Approximately $1.2 million from the federal coronavirus relief bill has been allocated in order to support these educational efforts among the community, school districts and charters.

“While the need and availability of this space is expected to vary between school communities, the Arizona Alliance of Boys & Girls Clubs and the Valley of the Sun YMCA will continue to be critical partners for schools and communities as they come together to support students this school year,” Hoffman said in a press release.

“As schools begin their distance learning plans, the extra support provided by community organizations will provide a relief valve for schools to ensure that every student who needs a safe place to learn, has one.”

Arizona Department of Health Services Director Dr. Cara Christ said the state has been working with child care facilities that have remained open, and there have been no major outbreaks.

She told KTAR News 92.3 FM’s The Mike Broomhead Show on Friday that those venues can safely be opened when schools do because schools have to deal with so many more children.

“We do take that into account that the child care can limit the number of kiddos,” she said. “But when we bring kids back into the schools, that’s going to be a larger number and we know that larger numbers can increase the spread of COVID-19.”

Albeit some schools had already started the academic year in a remote capacity, Monday marked the first day in Arizona in which in-person learning could resume.

Queen Creek Unified School District began in-person learning this week, while J.O. Combs Unified School District’s governing board voted 4-1 on Wednesday to revert to virtual-only instruction after all classes were canceled Monday through Wednesday because a high volume of staff had called out.

As of Thursday, when the state’s data dashboard showing the status of COVID-19 spread was last updated, Maricopa County met two benchmarks for the reopening range.

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