Manatee School Board puts full support behind mask requirement. At least for now

In the face of vocal critics and political debates, the School Board of Manatee County has voted unanimously to continue a district-wide mask requirement.

The emergency mask mandate, approved with a 4-1 vote on Aug. 11, expired after three months. The board decided on Tuesday to update their policy on disease prevention by including a general section on masks, allowing them to activate the new section and continue the mandate.

“Section B of this Policy shall only take effect by a majority vote of the Board and will remain in effect until the majority of the Board votes otherwise,” it reads. “The board will revisit this section at least every 90 days while enacted.”

Gina Messenger, the board chair, cast the dissenting vote in August, opposing a mandate and highlighting the need for teacher and parent choice. After hearing from residents and visiting the schools in her district, Messenger decided to throw her support behind the policy update on Tuesday.

“I really like to listen to everyone,” Messenger said. “There was a question about emails. I can honestly say I had far, far more emails in favor of keeping the current policy than I have had otherwise. It’s probably a 10-to-1 ratio. That’s just the truth.”

“Every principal I spoke to said the policy was working well in their school,” she continued.

One of the remaining concerns, she said, was the perception that Manatee was creating a permanent mask requirement. Vice-Chair Charlie Kennedy said he received concerns about a “forever policy.”

In response, the board added a sentence to the policy on Tuesday: “The board will revisit this section at least every 90 days while enacted.”

The review period will allow board members to revisit the policy every three months, if not sooner, and to make decisions based on the status of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Messenger also urged the district to issue clear messaging on the board’s policies and expectations. She heard the mask mandate and related protocols were applied differently between schools, a concern shared by board member Scott Hopes.

“I had a great conversation with the parent of a freshman student at Lakewood Ranch High School,” Hopes said. “And he wasn’t questioning the mask policy, but apparently when his child is in PE and on the track, walking or running around the track, they’re being required to wear a mask. I was stunned.”

Along with the mask requirement, board members passed a set of related protocols in August. They provided an exception for students in recess or physical education classes. The board also allowed for outdoor mask breaks with teacher permission and social distancing.

Hopes said the policy was a valuable safeguard when applied evenly throughout the district. The spread of COVID-19 in local schools could lead to even greater spread in the surrounding community, and Hopes — who is also an epidemiologist — said that masks were proven to make a positive difference.

It seems the support for a mask mandate was overwhelming, yet quiet. Along with emails from families and residents, the board received a letter from the Manatee County Medical Society. Speaking on behalf of local physicians, the group urged board members to continue the mandate until a vaccine was widely available.

“At a population level, masks are undeniably useful at reducing cases of COVID-19,” the letter reads. “Mask usage is most effective when all persons wear them. Families that choose to not wear masks endanger others by risking asymptomatic or pre-symptomatic spread of the virus.”

The board also received an email from Dr. Jennifer Bencie, who heads the Florida Department of Health in Manatee County. She sent the email to several district leaders on Oct. 30 and the message was forwarded to board members on Tuesday.

“With more students returning to class, I believe it will be very difficult for them to be at least 6 feet apart in the classroom or anywhere else in the school,” Bencie wrote. “Our percent of cases positive in the county has been mostly above 5% recently, on daily, weekly and 14-day reports.”

“Persons who are inside, without wearing masks, can transmit and become infected with the virus more easily than in the outside air,” she continued.

Her email pointed district leaders to guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which largely recommends the use of masks in schools.

The opposition to masks was more vocal and public, but the school board has continued to follow the CDC guidance since students returned in August. Board members also maintained their position when contrary actions were taken at the county and state levels.

The county commission voted 4-3 to lift its mask mandate in late September, shortly after Gov. Ron DeSantis suspended all fines and penalties resulting from a local government’s face-covering rules.

The school board then heard from families who pushed to end the district’s mask requirement. Some falsely claimed that face coverings would lead to severe oxygen deprivation, carbon dioxide poisoning and even cancer.

Instead of reversing course, the school board and the district have continued to rely on experts and masks during the COVID-19 pandemic. District leaders spearheaded the Mask Up Manatee Campaign and recently provided 11,000 free masks to Title I elementary schools.

Dave Miner, who lost his bid for re-election on Nov. 3, cast one of his last votes when he supported the mask policy on Tuesday evening.

“My vote is for the safety and health of all the children,” Miner said.

This story was originally published November 11, 2020 at 12:00 AM.