PHOENIX – As reported yesterday by AZ Family, the roof recently collapsed at a West Valley elementary school, forcing the closure of the cafeteria just as the school year is beginning to get underway. Fortunately, no one was hurt. But the incident shows the urgent need for Arizona to invest in school facilities.
AEA President Marisol Garcia issued the following statement in response:
“It shouldn’t take a roof collapse to recognize that our school buildings are in dire need of repair. As educators, many of us have horror stories about teaching in classrooms with mold, leaky roofs, mice infestations, or air conditioners that don’t work. It’s just not right.
Governor Hobbs recently issued two executive orders that address this problem. These orders will ensure that school building inspections, which are required by law, actually take place on a regular basis, and that the legal standards for buildings, which are decades old, are brought up to date.
But these steps, although much-needed, do not solve the problem–far from it. Arizona needs to invest in school facilities, and we need to do it ASAP.
Every kid, no matter what they look like or where they live, deserves to learn in a school that is welcoming, safe, and well-maintained. We will keep fighting until that vision is a reality in every part of our state.”
