School Face Mask Mandate Extended In Manatee County: Report

MANATEE COUNTY, FL — The Manatee County School Board unanimously voted to keep its districtwide school mask mandate at its Tuesday evening meeting, WWSB ABC 7 reported.

The school board initially adopted the emergency mask amendment to Policy 8450 in August before the school year started. The policy, a response to the COVID-19 pandemic, requires face masks for students, staff and visitors while on school property, in district facilities and on school buses.

At Tuesday’s meeting, board members decided to not allow mask breaks in schools or on busses. They also decided to revisit the mask mandate every 90 days, reports. Said.

Ahead of the meeting, the district asked parents, guardians and employees to fill out a survey regarding the mask policy. More than 9,000 responses were submitted to the district, reports said.

Superintendent Cynthia Saunders said she was surprised to learn that the majority of surveys supported wearing masks in the schools.

In neighboring Sarasota County, the Sarasota County School Board narrowly approved the extension of its districtwide face mask mandate in a 3 to 2 vote at its Oct. 20 meeting. This prompted a group of parents to sue the district for forcing students to wear masks at school.