Sarasota Schools Mask Mandate With No Opt Out Approved

SARASOTA COUNTY, FL — The Sarasota County School Board approved a 90-day mandatory mask mandate with no parent opt-out provision for all Sarasota County Schools students, employees, visitors and vendors in a 3-2 vote at an emergency meeting Friday night.

The emergency mask mandate will automatically suspend if the county’s COVID-19 positivity rate falls below 8 percent and will automatically reactive if that rate climbs higher than 10 percent.

Though there is no parent opt-out provision, families can receive an exemption with a medical waiver.

School board chair Shirley Brown, vice chair Jane Goodwin and board member Tom Edwards voted in favor of the mandate. Board members Karen Rose and Bridget Ziegler voted against it.

Watch Friday’s emergency meeting below: