4 Tucson Unified Staff Members Die Of Coronavirus In 5 Days

TUCSON, AZ — Tucson's largest school district is mourning the loss of four of its staff to the coronavirus in a single week.

The Tucson Unified School District lost four staff members to the coronavirus from Jan. 25 to 31, spokesperson Karla Escamilla confirmed to Patch.

"We will be honoring these staff members with a memorial tribute at the Feb. 9th TUSD Governing Board meeting," she said in an email.

TUSD declined to identify the staff members by name.

To date, 771,796 Arizonans have been infected with the coronavirus, and 13,752 have died.

Arizona schools Superintendent Kathy Hoffman previously told Mike Broomhead's KTAR radio show that the district lost six staff members in a week. She was answering Broomhead's question about why certain school districts should remain closed. The Tucson district is currently not offering in-person classes.

The Arizona Department of Education initially received information that six Tucson educators died of the virus last week, but later confirmed the correct number is four, department spokesperson Richie Taylor told Patch.

"The loss of any educator is a tragedy, and we grieve alongside the TUSD family and the loved ones of those lost to the virus," he said in a statement.

The coronavirus was at the center of Hoffman's 2021 State of Education address on Tuesday as the superintendent called for more statewide education funding and spoke of returning to the classroom when it is safe.

"Our students have been at the center of this crisis and were some of the first to feel the impact of this pandemic," she said. "For us to achieve our goals for in-person learning and a return to stability for our students, teachers, and families, we must ensure that school communities are safe for students and staff alike."