Hillsborough Schools Mandates Masks But Students Can Opt Out

TAMPA, FL — Hillsborough County Schools Superintendent Addison Davis announced Saturday that face masks will be mandatory in Hillsborough County Schools, but parents may choose to have their students opt-out of wearing a mask.

The announcement came after the school district sent out a notice late Friday saying it was calling a special called board meeting on Monday, Aug. 9, at 10 a.m. to discuss Gov. Ron DeSantis' July 30 executive order prohibiting schools from mandating face masks.

Although masks will be required for students as the new school year begins Aug. 10, Addison added that parents or guardians will have the option to have their student "opt out" of wearing a mask, essentially negating the mandate, Addison acknowledged.

"Based on new feedback provided by board members and to avoid a last-minute decision next week for families, I am announcing today that Hillsborough County Public Schools will require face coverings as a mitigation measure for the start of the 2021-22 academic year but will allow parents or guardians to opt their child out from wearing a face-covering or mask," Davis said in a statement.

"While the outcome may be the same whether we make face coverings optional or required with an opt-out, we believe this decision continues to illustrate that Hillsborough County Public Schools takes public safety seriously," he said. "We want to ensure we are doing all we can to help community-wide efforts to mitigate the spread of COVID-19."

The mask requirement will continue until at least Sept. 3. Davis said, by taking this position now, the district is giving families time to discuss the choices over the weekend before the start of school.

Davis said parents will receive an email with an HCPS Mask Opt-Out form that should be filled out by parents who do not want their child to wear a mask.

Face masks will continue to be voluntary for teachers and school staff although the district said it is "highly recommending" the use of face masks for both vaccinated and unvaccinated employees and students due to the surge of coronavirus rates in Florida as a result of the introduction of the delta variant. A week ago, Florida reported its highest one-day total of 21,683 new coronavirus cases since the pandemic began. Florida now accounts for a fifth of all new cases in the United States, with a majority of the illnesses caused by the delta variant of the virus.

As a result of the increasing numbers, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Rochelle Walensky did an about-face from the CDC's earlier recommendation that face masks be voluntarily.

Now she is advising that all students and staff wear masks, particularly elementary school students age 11 and under who are ineligible to receive the coronavirus vaccination.

Walensky's recommendation has been seconded by the American Academy of Pediatrics and other national health care organizations.

But two days after Walensky's announcement, DeSantis issued his executive order telling school districts that they cannot mandate the use of face masks. Those districts that do could lose state funding for schools.

Davis' announcement comes a day after the school board met with members of Hillsborough County's legislative delegation to discuss the governor's executive order and the alternatives the school district has in the face of a growing consensus of parents pushing to make masks mandatory.

"I feel like we're being threatened as a school board and as a district," said school board member Henry "Shake" Washington. "If you don't do this, then you don't get any cookies."

"We're concerned, and I think it's just unconscionable for you to be in this position," said Florida Rep. Michelle Rayner, D-St. Petersburg.

"I just can't be willing to lose dollars," David said. "It's a lot of money that comes to our school district."

See related stories:

• Parents Set For FL Mask Mandate Showdown As 1st School Day Nears
• Florida Posts Record Number Of New Coronavirus Cases: CDC
• CDC Recommends Mask In All Schools; DeSantis Will Fight Mandate
• DeSantis To School Boards: You Better Not Mandate Masking Kids
• Tampa Bay Hospitals Sound Alarm With Wave Of Delta Variant Cases
• Hillsborough County Back To School Guide 2021-22