, where case counts are currently the highest in the country, disaster is already striking: In one Florida district, after just a week of classes, 1,800 kids have tested positive and 10,000 are in quarantine. InFlorida’s Hillsborough School District is the seventh-largest in the U.S., with more than 200,000 students. As of Wednesday, the district had 10,384 students in quarantine, along with 338 staff members. In total, there wereamong the district’s students and staff.
The district held an emergency school board meeting on Wednesday, which quickly became heated as parents argued for and against universal masking for kids in schools. “Have any children died?” one mother shouted during the meeting. Several others shouted back that yes, COVID-19 has killed children in Florida and other states. A wife of a teacher who is immunocompromised spoke about her fear, and the double standards schools have employed in enforcing dress codes, but not mask mandates. “This tiny piece of cloth is not taking away your freedom. … Grow up,” she said.
The meeting ran nearly three hours over its scheduled time, and ultimately, the board voted on an emergency mask mandate to last at least 30 days, beginning today. Parents will still be able to opt their kids out of the mandate, but only with a note from a doctor.
Thank you Hillsborough County School Board members Combs, Grey, Perez, Vaughn and Washington for your courageous leadership today in your decision to help keep our children safe in schools.