3,000 Students, Teachers Isolated, Quarantined Because Of COVID

SARASOTA COUNTY, FL — As Sarasota County Schools prepared for its 90-day emergency face mask mandate to go into full effect Monday, more than 3,000 students and employees were out of school and work for isolation because they have COVID-19 or were quarantining because they might have been exposed, Superintendent Brennan Asplen said in a letter emailed to families Friday.

The Sarasota County School Board approved the temporary mask mandate in a 3-2 vote during an emergency meeting Aug. 20. Though there is no parent opt-out provision, families can receive an exemption with a medical waiver.

“This policy is effective while at school, while on school property, during school-sponsored activities, and during School Board-provided transportation to and from school or school-sponsored activities, at all times while indoors or outdoors in a crowded setting,” Asplen wrote. “This includes spectators at all extracurricular activities.”

The emergency mask mandate will automatically be suspended if the county's COVID-19 positivity rate falls below 8 percent, and it will automatically reactive if that rate climbs higher than 10 percent.

The positivity rate was 16.5 percent in Sarasota County the week of Aug. 20-26, according to the latest COVID-19 Weekly Situation Report from the Florida Department of Health for that period.

“We currently have over 3,000 combined students and employees out of school & work for isolation and quarantining,” Asplen said. “We need your help to ensure this policy is effective, enabling our students and employees to learn (and) work in a safe, non-disruptive environment.”

Starting Monday, any student not wearing a face mask and who doesn’t have a medical exemption filed will be considered out of compliance with the district policy, the superintendent said.

Students who decline to wear a face mask when asked will be sent home, and their parent or guardian will be called to pick them up.

“Our children need to be in school — please help us keep them actively engaged in their education in a constructive, supportive climate,” Asplen said. “I know we can help slow the spread of COVID-19 in our community — and help move our community’s positivity rate below 8 percent — if we work together and use all mitigation efforts possible. Wearing a face mask is showing you care. Please mask up!”