Broward County Public Schools is no longer requiring — but "strongly encouraging" — masks for students at all levels starting Nov. 20.
School board members passed the motion Tuesday, citing plummeting COVID-19 cases in the county, the decreasing number of kids in quarantine, and the availability of the vaccine to students ages 5 and up.
Late last month, the district relaxed the mandate for high school students, with the opt-out that allows parents to choose whether their children will wear a mask. Tuesday's motion expands it to elementary and middle school students and staff.
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"I want the board to consider expanding the optional use, but strongly encourage face coverings throughout the entire district and to follow the Florida Department of Health's quarantine guidelines effective Nov. 20," interim Superindentent Vickie L. Cartwright said.
“The School Board of Broward County’s decision today to make masks optional was based on the decrease in positivity and hospitalization numbers in South Florida," the Broward Teachers Union said in a statement. "The availability of vaccines for all school-aged children is a very important step in continuing to mitigate the spread of the virus, and I hope parents will seriously consider getting their children vaccinated and recommending that they still wear masks in school. I trust that the Board will continue to prioritize safety and will make changes in the masking policy should the numbers begin trending in the wrong direction.”
