Duval schools new mask mandate begins tomorrow

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JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Duval County’s caller disguise mandate begins Tuesday, requiring students to deterioration a face-covering unless they person a aesculapian opt-out.

Last month, the schoolhouse committee approved the 90-day disguise mandate for each students, whether they person been vaccinated oregon not, unless they get a enactment from a licensed wellness attraction provider. The signed certification form indispensable accidental the pupil has a medical, carnal oregon intelligence information that prevents them from wearing a look covering.

The disguise mandate is acceptable to expire connected Dec. 6, 2 weeks earlier wintertime break, but Superintendent Dr. Diana Greene has the quality to widen it if necessary.

But she could besides extremity the request early. During a schoolhouse committee gathering connected Tuesday night, Greene is expected to sermon scenarios wherever the disguise mandate could extremity earlier the 90 days if definite criteria are met.

Students are expected to deterioration their masks astatine each times with the objection of eating and during outdoor activities, but dissimilar past schoolhouse year, students who bash not travel the disguise guidelines mightiness beryllium charged with a codification of behaviour infraction.

Here are the imaginable disciplinary consequences, according to DCPS:

1st occurrence

School volition supply a look disguise to the student
Student volition implicit “Face Mask Safety Contract with Mask Expectation” (requires pupil and genitor signature)

2nd occurrence

Student sent to subject office
Student coded for “1.06 Nonconformity to General Code of Appearance”
Parent league (virtual oregon in-person)

3rd occurrence

Student sent to subject office
Student coded for “2.01 Failure to Adhere to Safety Consideration”
In-school suspension (1-2 days)

4th occurrence

Student sent to subject office
Student coded for 2nd “2.01 Failure to Adhere to Safety Consideration”
Out-of-school suspension (1-3 days); Parent league encouraged

The mandate begins arsenic the territory is locked successful a combat with the authorities implicit the measure.

Last month, Florida Education Commissioner Richard Corcoran sent a informing saying that if the schoolhouse territory doesn’t driblet its “illegal” disguise mandate the authorities would slash backing successful the signifier of schoolhouse committee salaries and perchance enforce different sanctions. Although, a justice ruled against the DeSantis Administration, saying that helium can’t punish districts for imposing mandates nether the parents measure of rights. That ruling is being appealed.

In its response, the Duval County School Board said it chose to enactment the mandate successful spot aft 11 schoolhouse territory employees died and much than 1,600 COVID-19 cases were reported successful schools implicit the archetypal 3 weeks. Three Duval schools person already had to temporarily unopen down owed to COVID-19 outbreaks including, most recently, Ed While High School.

Despite pushback from immoderate parents, the territory has said it has listened to doctors and wellness professionals who said disguise mandates for students enactment and tin assistance dilatory the dispersed of the delta variant that has affected children much than the microorganism that circulated successful schools past year. Still, 18 Duval region parents filed a suit against the district implicit the mandate.

As of Friday, there were 1,960 full reported COVID-19 cases successful Duval County Public Schools since classes resumed 4 weeks ago.

About the Author:

Travis Gibson

Digital newsman who has lived successful Jacksonville for much than 25 years and focuses connected important section issues similar acquisition and the environment.

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