School Mask Mandate With Opt-Out Provision Approved In Manatee

MANATEE COUNTY, FL — The School Board of Manatee County approved a temporary mask mandate with an opt-out provision for all Manatee County Schools students and employees in a 3-2 vote at a special meeting Monday.

The 10-day mandate expires Aug. 25. The board will revisit the topic at its Aug. 24 regular meeting.

School board Chair Charlie Kennedy, Vice Chair Rev. James Golden and member Mary Foreman voted in favor of the mask mandate.

Board members Chad Choate and Gina Messenger voted against the measure.

During Monday’s meeting, Foreman said that there were 182 COVID-19 cases reported — 132 of them students — during the first four days of the 2021-22 school year, which started Aug. 9.

“If you compare that to last year, we never reached 182 (cases) until the end of October,” she said. “We started out last year with eight cases for the first week.”

Foreman added, “These cases, they eat me up. Each case is a child. We have to do something that is going to make a change.”

Kennedy said he hopes the mandate encourages more mask usage throughout the district.

“I believe that masks work,” he said, adding that “they are one layer of mitigation.”

He also noted that the opt-out provision allows parents to decide what is best for their children.

“There is still a parent choice. We aren’t taking anyone’s choice away,” Kennedy said.

While Messenger said she understands the fears and concerns related to the COVID-19 surge in Manatee County and throughout the state, she doesn't think a mask mandate with an opt-out provision is enforceable.

She added that the best way to keep coronavirus out of the schools is for adults in the community to get vaccinated.

“Research shows if adults get vaccinated, then the spread to our children will be greatly reduced,” Messenger said. “If you want to make sure your children don’t wear a mask in school…then please get vaccinated.”

The school board previously decided not to put a mask mandate in place during a special meeting held Aug. 8, the day before the first day of school. There also was no vote on the matter during the board’s regular meeting Wednesday.

After the first two days of the school year, the district announced that it would reimplement several COVID-19 protocols that were in place the previous year, including sending home students and employees with coronavirus symptoms, daily temperature checks for all employees and some students, providing hand sanitizer in classrooms, deep cleaning and disinfecting schools and school buses daily.

The district also encourages everyone to wear masks when indoors and that all those who are eligible should get the COVID-19 vaccine.