President Joe Biden spoke on Friday night with the superintendent of Phoenix Union High School District, one of several districts in the state requiring students, teachers and staff to wear masks indoors as the delta variant of the coronavirus surges in Arizona.
Biden thanked Phoenix Union Superintendent Chad Gestson for his stance, and the two discussed their desire to try to get all students back to school in person, full time, and in safe settings, according to the White House.
Biden made a similar call to Vickie Cartwright, the school superintendent in Broward County, Florida.
In both conversations, according to a readout about the calls, the president commended the school superintendents for “their leadership and courage to do the right thing for the health and well-being of their students, teachers, and schools.”
Biden told them his administration supports their districts and communities and told them every school has the resources and guidance needed to operate during the pandemic, thanks in part to COVID-19 relief funds.
The White House cast the superintendents as local leaders who are prioritizing public health, even when governors have enacted “bad public health measures.”
Phoenix Union’s mask-wearing requirement has riled conservatives and Republican law-makers, who cast it as defiance of a law passed last session that prohibits school districts from requiring the use of masks.
The ban took effect June 30, according to a provision in the legislation, but the underlying bill does not have the force of law until Sept. 29 — the standard three-month wait after the Legislature goes home for the year.
A Maricopa County Superior Court judge heard arguments on Friday in the case of a teacher suing the Phoenix Union district because of its mask mandate. A ruling is expected soon.
The district was the first in the state to impose a mask requirement for this school year. Nine other Arizona districts, include seven in Phoenix and Glendale, followed suit. Several of the districts included opt-out provisions.
Maricopa County Community Colleges, Arizona State University, the University of Arizona and Northern Arizona University announced mask requirements.
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