Tucson Unified School District will be offering a remote-only learning option for the coming school year.

On August 5, students who would prefer to learn online will be able to attend Tucson Unified Virtual Academy K-12. Students would follow a regular class schedule, like in-person instruction, and the district would provide the technology devices and software. If students feel they are not fit for online learning, they do still have the option to return to in-person learning. For the coming school year, students can switch back to in-person learning and return to the school they were enrolled in at the 1st quarter Progress report date (September 1-3, 2021), or at the end of each quarter.

While students would be attending class remotely during the week, they can still participate in after-school programs in-person, such as sports or other activities.

In a letter to parents and the TUSD community on Wednesday, Superintendent Dr. Gabriel Trujillo recognized that families would be concerned about returning to in-person learning since the district would no longer be able to require masks in schools after Gov. Doug Ducey signed the Arizona Budget Bill on July 30.

He said the governing board would discuss safety recommendations for school re-entry at the upcoming meeting on July 20. While the district can longer mandate masks, he wrote they still “highly recommend a mask be worn by anyone who is not vaccinated.”

To learn more about the Tucson Unified Virtual Academy email TUVAk12@tusd1.org or call 520-225-6330.