Sarasota County in Florida has become the first county in the state won by Trump to implement a mask mandate in schools, defying Gov. Ron DeSantis’s order that banned schools from issuing one.
The 90-day mask mandate was approved on Friday with a 3-2 vote, WWSB-TV reported. The mandate applies to all students, staff, providers and parents. Only medical exemptions will be allowed.
The mandate will be lifted if the COVID-19 positivity rate falls below 8 percent. At the end of 90 days, if the positivity rate remains above 10 percent, the mandate will be reinstated.
Shirley Brown, who voted in favor of the mask mandate, told this website That the numbers were too high to not have a mandate. He said that by the end of the month, the number of cases from the school district may exceed the total number from last year.
Brown said that, in accordance with the school district constitution, they must provide a safe learning environment
“With COVID going through there, that’s not safe,” he said. “When you have to quarantine students who are nearby, you have to remove so many students. ”
He said the number of cases has left some classrooms with as few as five to seven students.
“There are too many children who have to go out because of COVID,” he said.
Brown also criticized DeSantis for his handling of rising COVID-19 cases and his mask over-mandate policies. She specifically criticized him for threatening to withhold the salaries of school board members if they pass a mask mandate.
“If he thinks we’re doing this for pay, he’s gone crazy,” she said. “Anyone on the school board would put the child’s health above their salary. ”
Bridget Ziegler, a school board member who voted against the mandate told this website that he is concerned about the legality of the mandate and the choice of parents.
“I recognize that this is a very serious situation, but as you can see, there are different points of view on it,” Ziegler said. “I am a strong advocate for parental rights. ”
He said he would have preferred more flexibility and “innovative ideas” by allowing smaller learning groups or allowing students to learn remotely temporarily as COVID-19 cases crop up. He also said some school employees are concerned that by enforcing the district mask mandate would. This is a brief summary.
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