Submitted by: Shana Rae Beck

Live or Work in the District: Yes

Child(ren) attending a GPS school: Yes

Comment: I sure hope you will continue full time in class learning. Deciding to go hybrid and online has negatively impacted by 2nd grader. I know I'm not the only parent concerned with this. Keep the schools open for the rest of the year.

Submitted by: Becky Woolley

Live or Work in the District: Yes

Child(ren) attending a GPS school: Yes

Comment: When making decisions about the district calendar for upcoming years, I would like the board to keep in mind that having a calendar similar to that of the mesa school district is important for many families as so many people live in either Gilbert or Mesa and then work in other district. Thanks!

Submitted by: Shannon Hanson

Live or Work in the District: Yes

Child(ren) attending a GPS school: Yes

Comment: Please consider making masks optional for the pre-K-2, or all elementary. There are many studies showing that the young kids are not the carriers of the virus and it is such crucial years for social development! Plus, these kids can play at places like KTR without masks! Let them have an option at school, even if that means you have the parents sign a waiver form. Thanks.

Submitted by: Kelly Westerberg

Live or Work in the District: Yes

Child(ren) attending a GPS school: Yes

Comment: Prior to making changes in district school calendars, I would ask that the Board consider carefully all relevant and reliable data on the issue. Despite the purported advantages recently presented to the Board, there is very little research to support any educational or financial benefits to YRE's (vs. traditional school calendars). I hope the Board is willing to model a data-driven discussion and is thoughtful in making any decision that could have a sweeping impact on family time, student enrollment, local business revenue and student achievement. More specifically, I would encourage you to consider the following research outcomes related to the issue: a. YRE offers negligible improvement on student achievement b. YRE negatively impacts small locally-run businesses that rely heavily on seasonal revenue (i.e. shorter summer seasons for community pools, gyms offering summer camps, entertainment venues like Jump Street, Main Event and Flip Side; small business specialty stores like Water & Ice, Bahama Buck's; hospitality & summer staycation promotions) c. True operating costs — increased costs of cooling campuses 5 days/week vs. current 4-day summer work schedule in July d. Potential enrollment loss of students belonging to GPS employees who have elected to Open Enroll their own students in GPS so that their school calendar aligns with employee work calendar e. Difficulty and delay in receiving necessary and critical records (IEP's, 504's) for students transferring from schools with traditional calendars https://www.edworkingpapers.com/sites/default/files/ai20-209.pdf https://www.hanoverresearch.com/insights-blog/costs-and-benefits-of-the-year-round-calendar-system/ https://www.jstor.org/stable/23358251?seq=1 https://web.uri.edu/ssirep/files/Final-Year-Round-Education-Report.pdf Thank you in advance for your thoughtful consideration on the proposed changes before the Board. Your continued partnership and advocacy on behalf of all GPS stakeholders is most appreciated.

Submitted by: Rebecca M. Felice

Live or Work in the District: Yes

Child(ren) attending a GPS school: Yes

Comment: Good afternoon On recker rd. Between guadalupe and baseline. There is an elementary school Town Meadow. I am inquiring if flashing lights can be installed on the school zone signs that represent that school zone. I go 35 or slower..the posted school zone speed limit..there are unaware motorists and the speed through that particular area. That surpass the school zone speed limit. I have witnessed this on several occasions. Today I almost witnessed a bus being hit by one of these unaware motorists. The bus was already mid turn, and would have been t boned .As is, this is not safe for children school employees or the school bus drivers. So please consider flashing lights on the, already posted school zone signs. Please consider for the safety of students employees, and community members. Thank you.

Submitted by: Rebecca Felice

Live or Work in the District: No

Child(ren) attending a GPS school: Yes

Comment: Please consider having highland high school students utilizing the hybrid option again after spring break. Due to increase of travels during spring break this year.. I have covid concerns for the health of students and teachers safety and well- being.. during this pandemic. I believe it is possibly in the best interest for everyone to go back to hybrid, to attempt prevent increase cases. I want to thank teachers and board members for all their hard work during these trying times. Please consider.

Submitted by: Cassio Mello

Live or Work in the District: Yes

Child(ren) attending a GPS school: Yes

Comment: We are constantly getting “Health Notifications” from the school informing that someone in my son’s class tested positive. It seems that the best and most responsible thing would be to go hybrid or fully remote. Thanks.

Submitted by: Heather Bryant

Live or Work in the District: No

Child(ren) attending a GPS school: Yes

Comment: Please end mandatory face masks. Faculty and students should be able to choose to wear one or not. It is not healthy physically or mentally to wear face masks. We know several people who are getting lung diseases and sicknesses from continuously wearing them long term. We have proven that they do not prevent COVID. We cannot be afraid of germs and teach our children to live in fear.

Submitted by: Leslie Petersen

Live or Work in the District: Yes

Child(ren) attending a GPS school: Yes

Comment: Please take in to consideration how many Neely parents drop off students and will need appropriate lanes for this transfer. As well, there is a large population of parents who park and walk our children to the playground in the morning and also park and pick up from the front of the school in the afternoons. Thank you all for your time and for your amazing work!

Submitted by: Ankeny

Live or Work in the District: Yes

Child(ren) attending a GPS school: Yes

Comment: I want both of my kids out of masks on campus ASAP! If mask mandates continue to be imposed I am removing my kids from GPS in the fall and moving them into a private school where masks are not required... you guys work for the tax payers, without students you don’t have jobs...

Submitted by: Heather Bryant

Live or Work in the District: No

Child(ren) attending a GPS school: Yes

Comment: Please end mandatory face masks. Faculty and students should be able to choose to wear one or not. It is not healthy physically or mentally to wear face masks. We know several people who are getting lung diseases and sicknesses from continuously wearing them long term. We have proven that they do not prevent COVID. We cannot be afraid of germs and teach our children to live in fear.

Submitted by: Terri Diaz

Live or Work in the District: Yes

Child(ren) attending a GPS school: Yes

Comment: Thank you for reading my comment. I know you are going to vote on a calendar for the next two years tonight. I cannot stress enough the importance of choosing the 1-2-1 calendar as a teacher and parent. As an elementary teacher and parent of an elementary student, it is extremely difficult for students not to be able to have a lunch or alternate recess due to the heat advisories. If we were in school this year, students would have spent most of the first quarter in their classrooms, sitting at their desks. Indoor recess cannot be a replacement for outdoor recess. It is not possible. It is difficult to get students back into the groove after 9 days off, let alone almost 20 days. Summer is the only time that school is not in daily discussion of homework, assignments, schedules, etc. for families who are involved in their child's education. As a teacher, it is the only time I truly log off as a teacher for an extended period of time. I have spoken to some elementary teachers and they have the same concerns. Vacations are often taken in July for my family to travel. That is a popular time for most people I know. With the pandemic, we have had so much change in our schedule, staying consistent with the calendar will benefit families, as well as teachers. In conclusion, I ask that you vote to keep the calendar 1-2-1 for consistency and the best interests of everyone. Sincerely,

Submitted by: Jill Pascoe

Live or Work in the District: Yes

Child(ren) attending a GPS school: Yes

Comment: I know the board is considering changing the school calendar to 2-2-2 based on a 1% difference in support for this schedule in the community. My son is currently in 10th grade. When he was in kindergarten he started school on August 12. Every year the calendar has changed, shifting a return to school on an earlier date. This new schedule will have students going back to school in July. I listened to the key arguments made on both sides. There was no research brought forward that longer breaks during the school year equate to better learning for kids. They make the year disjointed and are especially bad for kids with special needs like my son with autism. I also heard no mention of how moving to a schedule starting in July will affect our kids ability to be competitive on a national scale. There are many academic internships during the months of July and August that occur around the country for students in high school. By having our kids go back to school in July, this will remove the possibility of students being able to participate in any of these opportunities. My daughter's dream to have an internship with NASA will be shattered. How does it help our kids academically by removing access to all the opportunities nationally that are available to other students? I simply don't understand why we would change the calendar and take this option away from our students. I appreciate you taking the time to consider this point, and the negative impact of longer breaks during the school year for kids with special needs. I appreciate your consideration.

Submitted by: Robin Dodder

Live or Work in the District: Yes

Child(ren) attending a GPS school: No

Comment: The CDC said that schools CAN open with relatively low risk IF mitigation strategies are followed. The Board continues to mention that these mitigation strategies are in place, but, with respect, it's clear that the Board has either not visited our high school campuses lately or that they are unaware of the strict mitigation strategies the CDC suggests at this time. The strategies include: Proper ventilation Sanitization Appropriate spacing between student desks A minimum of 6 feet between students during lunch Mandatory mask wearing Regarding ventilation: ventilation systems on our campus are old, and I understand that they were serviced and updated, but several classrooms on our campus still lack sufficient airflow to ensure safety during a pandemic. This mitigation standard is unlikely to be met in our instructional setting. Regarding sanitization: custodial staff are spread too thin and are overtaxed. The level of cleaning required to prevent spread in a high school setting when students are moving from classroom to classroom is a tremendous burden. Teachers will also have to sanitize desks between class periods (while finding time to go to the bathroom to wash their own hands), and it's likely not happening as regularly or as thoroughly as necessary to keep the campus safe. Despite the best efforts of custodial staff, this mitigation standard is not being consistently met in our instructional setting. Regarding spacing between student desks: with class numbers as they are, this is not possible. Classes would have to remain below 20 in order to place desks even three feet apart (HALF the recommended distance). This mitigation standard cannot be met in our instructional setting. The absence of this strategy means that other strategies are even more important. Those strategies are also not being met consistently. The average classroom has desks placed no more than 1-2 feet apart. Regarding 6 feet between students at lunch: Students at lunch would have to sit no more than one per table, which is DEFINITELY not possible and not happening on our campus. Most students prefer to socialize during their lunch period and often do not observe appropriate social distances during that time - including while masks are off to eat. Enforcement is a challenge - we just don't have the staff needed to monitor common lunch areas. The battle cry of those who want schools open is "my kids want to be with their friends." If that doesn't tell you everything you need to know, nothing will. Regarding mandatory mask wearing: Compliance in the high school setting is still an issue. While administration and teachers do their best to enforce the rules, for the most part, several students have commented that enforcement is inconsistent in some classes, areas of camps, etc., and that they are able to get away with not wearing their masks (or not wearing them properly) at regular intervals on campus. Face it. We're wildly outnumbered, and there's next to no way to refer a student for disciplinary action if you don't know that student. Hallways are particularly treacherous. We often encounter students we've never met or had in class, so we don't have any way to refer them to the front office short of walking them up there ourselves and interrupting the instructional day for our students. This means that many students are not held accountable for wearing their masks properly at all times. MOST of these mitigation strategies cannot happen until we dramatically increase our staff/faculty numbers on campus. Please consider this when determining FTE for the schools next year. This pandemic isn't going away, and it poses a serious health risk to students - particularly since it will be some time before students can be vaccinated. The long-term impact of COVID is not yet fully understood, and several young, healthy people have sustained what appears to be permanent damage to organs like the heart and lungs during the course of their illness (despite minimal symptoms). They deserve to be safe and healthy too!