The Scottsdale Unified School District compiled surveys from parents discussing new modes of learning and voted to bring students back to the classroom in phases to schools during the COVID-19 virus (coronavirus disease 2019), officials said.

According to SUSD Superintendent Dr. Scott Menzel, the survey was open from 12:30 p.m on Sept. 3 until 3 p.m on Sept. 7. Parents could enter responses for each student in their family. All responses were verified to be active students within the school district.

The survey was compiled into two answers, with four choices for one section and three choices for the other. One of the options was "I am prepared to return to full-time in-person learning at my home school." The four choices provided were "Now," "When the benchmark metrics are met," "When there is a vaccine," "EDL (Enhanced Distance Learning) Rest of Year." The other option was "If given the choice, I would select the following learning model for my student at this time while Scottsdale Unified School District metrics are in 'yellow' as determined by AZDHS (Arizona Department of Health Services) metrics." The three choices provided were "Full Return with safety but while in yellow," "Current EDL Model, full return when green," "The Hybrid Model."

Sept. 14, children in education programs and preschools will have the option to return.

Sept. 21, children in kindergarten through second grade can go to school in-person.

Third through fifth graders can return Sept. 29.

And middle school and high school students can go back Oct. 12 after fall break.

Students also have the option to still attend online if they do not feel comfortable returning to the classroom.

"The school board did not say that we were adapting the entire Arizona Department of Health Services plan, just the criteria that was added," Menzel said, Wednesday, at a special school board meeting.

Menzel quoted from a medical director in Maricopa County, Dr. Rebecca Sunenshine, "We are unlikely to achieve the goal of 10 in 100,000 people with the COVID-19 before the vaccine."

Menzel proposed half of the families in the boundaries of the district phase into in-person learning so fewer students have to be on campus every day. Sunenshine said Menzel's idea was "genius." "It gives parents a choice, and it lets us leave the most vulnerable to the virus at home."

"My constituents have voiced and our frustrated calling SUSD a slow-moving district," SUSD board member Sandy Kravetz said.

The staffing, and logistically, there is a challenge, Menzel said. "When we stay open, we want to stay open and not have to shut down the school district again." Menzel added that the school district is watching and monitoring what other school districts have done.

"We have a standard of quality we expect in Scottsdale," Menzel said.

SUSD reported a 45% response rate to the survey among staff. Coronado High School had the lowest response rate at 30%, while Cheyenne Traditional School recorded the highest, 82% response rate.

"We want actual learning for our students, not a continued assessment on modes of learning while in-person learning," Patty Beckman, board vice president said.

SUSD reported that 70% of the district wants to return now to in-person instruction. "It isn't really a hybrid model because a teacher might have a full class if we return to in-person instruction," board member Jann-Michael Greenburg said.

"Our assumption was that other teachers were prepared to return when the district was ready to return," Menzel said.

"In my former school district in Michigan, 80% of the students are in-person learning and students are compliant and wearing masks," Menzel said.

Greenburg replied, "Did we ask the staff if we agreed to go online or back in person"?

Menzel said the plan was consistent with the hybrid, but not with the criteria. "Wearing a mask is essential to slow the COVID-19 spread."

"It's about the risk management component," Menzel said. "We can isolate whenever an issue occurs."