Mother's shock when daughter returned home from school is stark warning to parents

Goodyear, Arizona: Even as authorities advise Arizonans to try and stay indoors as far as possible during peak temperatures, one mother, Judith Coronel, shared her concerns after discovering her 5th-grade daughter's physical education (PE) class was scheduled outside during the hottest part of the day.

Cornell told ABC15 Arizona her daughter came home visibly affected by the heat, noting her body temperature had risen to a concerning level. Her daughter's PE class involved running laps outdoors at Odyssey Preparatory Academy in Goodyear, where she had to sit in an area with no shade after exercising.

Cornell said she contacted the school for clarity on its PE policy but was unsatisfied with the response. Frustrated, she escalated her complaint to the State Board for Charter Schools, which informed her that they only handle legal violations and cannot dictate school-level decisions regarding weather policies.

Cornell voiced her concerns about the absence of legal protections similar to the heat safety ordinances enacted in Phoenix for outdoor workers, wondering why no similar policies exist for children.

The school responded by clarifying its PE policy, which involves rotating students between indoor and outdoor activities during their 45-minute PE sessions, prioritizing shaded areas when outside. However, they couldn't provide details on her daughter's specific experience. Cornell has since moved her daughter to another school.

The Arizona State Board of Education told ABC15 that local districts typically manage these decisions. State Superintendent Tom Horne indicated he would be open to supporting legislation if it appealed to him and was reasonable for districts to implement. Governor Katie Hobbs' office referenced her recently launched Heat Preparedness Plan, which offers updated guidelines for schools in managing extreme temperatures.