Duval superintendent: Students will not be disciplined if they don’t wear masks

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JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Duval County Superintendent Dr. Diana Greene said Wednesday that students volition not beryllium disciplined if they don’t deterioration look masks.

Following hours of comments from parents and wellness leaders, the Duval County School Board connected Tuesday nighttime approved an amendment to its Student Code of Conduct that gives students a prime to opt-out of wearing masks.

The further connection added was: “Any pupil not wearing a disguise pursuant to this argumentation must, done his/her/their genitor oregon guardian, implicit the opt-out procedures provided by his/her/their assigned school.”

While the Student Code of Conduct states “in the involvement of pupil and worker safety, the wearing of facial coverings is powerfully recommended during the schoolhouse time and astatine school-related events,” the School Board fundamentally ruled that masks would beryllium the default for students erstwhile they added the opt-out policy.

“Our No. 1 extremity is to guarantee that we bash everything that we perchance tin to mitigate the dispersed of COVD-19,” Greene said Wednesday successful an interrogation connected CNN.

The determination by the School Board sidesteps Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ enforcement order barring schoolhouse districts from requiring students to deterioration masks.

There are inactive a batch of questions astir however this is really going to work. In Wednesday’s interview, Greene indicated that administrators volition not beryllium applying subject if students interruption the rule.

“It is not tied to discipline. Our schools are prepared for erstwhile students get whether they are wearing a facial covering oregon not. They person their procedures that they would follow,” Greene said. “Again, we’re not applying subject to students arsenic it relates to wearing facial coverings.”

School Board Chairwoman Elizabeth Andersen released the pursuing connection Wednesday day connected the School Board’s decision:

“The Board’s exigency argumentation determination past nighttime creates the champion equilibrium betwixt our profoundly held work for the information and payment of students and unit portion afloat respecting parental prime nether the Governor’s order. Our conflict continues to beryllium against a microorganism that has not yet released its grip connected our community, and portion the School Board takes the steps it tin take, the champion mode our assemblage tin service our children is to get vaccinated. For the involvement of Duval County’s children, I articulation with each the different voices successful our assemblage asking each who are eligible to get the COVID-19 vaccine arsenic soon arsenic possible.”

The territory connected Tuesday posted back-to-school information protocols online, including accusation astir the disguise policy. The territory said it’s moving connected an online process done FOCUS, its pupil accusation system, for parents and guardians to pass the territory that their kid volition not beryllium wearing a look mask. Details volition beryllium announced to families erstwhile the online process is successful place. The territory said it plans to denote this process by Friday.

According to the district, determination is nary deadline to capable retired the form, and those who opt retired bash not person to amusement immoderate origin oregon supply immoderate circumstantial crushed wherefore they are doing so.

Some parents who News4Jax spoke with said they are relieved astatine the argumentation change.

“I’m happy, and I’m grateful to the School Board. I consciousness similar they fought for us. It was a cautious decision,” said Matt Hartley, a genitor of a DCPS student. “I didn’t privation a afloat mandate. I inactive deliberation that would beryllium the safest thing, but I deliberation this was a astute mode to enactment wrong the missive of the enforcement order.”

Masks were already mandated done Sept. 3 for Duval County teachers and staff.

With little than a week until the archetypal time of school, Duval Teachers United President Terrie Brady said the territory is already dealing with the coronavirus among staff.

“We are seeing truthful galore cases successful each azygous schoolhouse conscionable with employees,” Brady told “The Morning Show.”

Marla Bryant is simply a DCPS genitor who co-founded the Duval Schools Pandemic Solutions Team, an online radical of much than 3,500 members advocating for COVID-19 information measures successful DCPS.

“I’m getting a batch of messages done our group, but with teachers precise confused astatine however they’re going to enforce masks successful the schoolroom erstwhile the Code of Conduct inactive says powerfully recommended, with the enactment to opt-out,” Bryant said. “I deliberation that what you’re going to beryllium seeing successful the coming days is I deliberation you’re gonna spot radical pulling their kids retired of school.”

Also connected Tuesday evening, the Alachua County School Board voted successful favour of requiring students to deterioration masks for the archetypal 2 weeks of school.

The state’s largest union, the Florida Education Association, praised the 2 schoolhouse districts’ policies.

“The Florida Education Association (FEA) applauds the schoolhouse boards of Alachua and Duval counties for pursuing the proposal of doctors successful their communities,” said FEA President Andrew Spar. “We judge each region should beryllium empowered to marque decisions connected however champion to support their students safe, successful consultation with section wellness experts and based connected the unsocial needs and circumstances successful their area. We anticipation different districts besides volition travel the proposal of trusted aesculapian professionals.”

Elsewhere successful Florida, Leon County’s superintendent besides sent a missive to the governor, asking him to let a akin disguise mandate. And Broward County’s schoolhouse territory had imposed a disguise mandate and past reversed it. Now it is reconsidering.

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