Manatee School Board moves toward ending mask mandate. It could come back if COVID worsens

The School Board of Manatee County convened on Friday morning and took another step toward ending its mask mandate for students and employees, setting the stage for a vote on May 25.

Board members reviewed the school district’s proposed changes, including a shift to voluntary mask use starting in early June, when summer school begins and most students are gone for the break.

While the draft document set a date of June 1 for the policy changes to take effect, several board members suggested the mandate end after graduations — scheduled from June 1 to 5 — so district policy doesn’t conflict with the graduation venue’s rules.

In an email sent to the Bradenton Herald on Friday morning, a spokesman for the Pittsburgh Pirates confirmed that face coverings would be required at LECOM Park during the ceremonies.

And if board members vote on May 25 to end the mandate at some point in June, Superintendent Cynthia Saunders could still call for a temporary mask requirement if the positivity rate hits a certain percentage in Manatee County.

The superintendent could also reinstate the mandate if she identifies a high concentration of COVID-19 cases “in a specific school or group setting like athletics/club activities,” the draft changes state.

“If you could have a middle ground on a mask policy or how to handle the pandemic in Manatee County, I really feel like it’s here,” Chairman Charlie Kennedy said.

State adds pressure to the mask debate

But for some attendees at Friday’s meeting, a mask mandate in any form was “tyranny” and “authoritarian.” More than half a dozen people addressed the board during public comment and highlighted the mixed messages from federal, state and local leaders.

“Our governor last night stated he doesn’t follow the CDC and the reason why is they’re continuously wrong,” one man said. “And they’re wrong on this. You’re wrong on this.”

Scott Rivkees, the man appointed by Gov. Ron DeSantis to serve as state surgeon general, issued a letter on Thursday, noting that “fully vaccinated individuals should no longer be advised to wear face coverings or avoid social and recreational gatherings except in limited circumstances.”

As of Friday, most school-age children were not eligible for a COVID-19 vaccine. Two of the vaccines were available for anyone ages 18 and up, while a third — the Pfizer-BioNTech shot — was an option for people 16 and up.

For people who were fully vaccinated, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention confirmed that outdoor activities and small gatherings were safe without a mask. The agency supported masks in crowded areas, however, and it still recommended mask policies in schools.

“Require consistent and correct use of well-fitting face masks with proper filtration by all students, teachers, and staff to prevent SARS-CoV-2 transmission through respiratory droplets,” the agency said. “Most students, including those with disabilities, can tolerate and safely wear a mask.”

State Education Commissioner Richard Corcoran, who was appointed by the State Board of Education after an endorsement from the governor, issued his own letter on April 14, urging school districts to end their mask mandates for the 2021-22 school year.

Addressing the school board on Friday morning, another man praised state officials while scolding the board for its more stringent COVID-19 safety measures.

“Let’s discuss why you guys and other political power-hungry authoritarians took it upon yourselves to mandate what our children do with their bodies while our state government stayed out of personal lives,” he said.

School board member Scott Hopes, an epidemiologist who is often quick to highlight the effectiveness of masks, was absent from Friday’s in-person discussion. As the new acting administrator for Manatee County Government, his duties are now stretched between the county and the school board.

He joined the start of Friday’s meeting and left just before the mask discussion began, joining the meeting virtually after leaving the chambers. The reason was not immediately clear and Hopes could not be reached for comment later that afternoon.

“This is data and I’m not sure why Dr. Hopes is not here to hear this. That’s concerning, but I’m sure he’ll watch the recording,” a woman said during public comment, shortly after referring to masks as a “weapon” that make children sick.

Health experts join mask discussion

Bringing their expert insight to a controversial and often political conversation, the Florida Department of Health in Manatee County joined Friday’s discussion by phone, weighing in on the school board’s mask policy and draft changes.

“It really depends on what’s happening in the community,” said Dr. Jennifer Bencie, the head of Manatee’s health department. “We can’t just look at the school system as a bubble. What happens in the community happens in the schools.”

Department leaders said the school board should decide what level of risk it was comfortable with, citing the CDC’s guidance on positivity rates and transmissions:

• Low transmission means a seven-day positivity rate of less than 5%.
• Moderate transmission means a seven-day positivity rate of 5% to 7.9%.
• Substantial transmission means a seven-day positivity rate of 8% to 9.9%.
• High transmission means a seven-day positivity rate of 10% or more.

A COVID-19 positivity rate is the number of people who test positive for the first time divided by all the people who tested that day. And the most recent seven-day rate in Manatee County was 6.49%.

“We would like to get a daily rate consistent of 5% or lower,” Bencie said. “We’re not there yet and we know we’re still seeing some of the effects from spring break.”

“This morning the incident commander at the Bradenton Convention Center said that the rapid tests are still at 12% as of yesterday at the convention center,” she continued. “A lot still to be done regarding being vigilant and trying to get our positivity rates down.”

Along with hand-washing and social distancing, masks were part of a layered strategy to combat COVID-19. If board members were to end the mask mandate by June, the superintendent could choose to reinstate that layer of protection if cases begin to spike in the community or individual schools.

District leaders proposed a return to the mask requirement for at least 10 days if the positivity rate in Manatee County hit 10%. Board members Kennedy, James Golden and Mary Foreman agreed the number should be lowered to 8% instead.

And the original draft said the superintendent would rely on a 14-day positivity rate. Board members agreed that Saunders should instead rely on the county’s seven-day rate, allowing her to quickly act on concerning trends.

What to expect next month

Board members ended their discussion by addressing rumors and misinformation in the community. While the board was moving toward voluntary mask use in schools, skeptical residents feared the opposite.

“I know there’s been concerns about mandatory vaccines,” board member Gina Messenger said. “There’s nothing in here in this whole entire document. Not one word says vaccines. Not one word says making that mandatory in any way. That’s not something this board has ever discussed.”

“We received emails this week that, as Mrs. Messenger said, that we are making vaccines mandatory for all children,” Kennedy followed. “Those words have never been spoken but it’s spreading around the public and social media like wildfire, apparently. And that we were coming today to discuss making the mask policy permanent. Again, never been spoken by anyone but still making the rounds out there.”

Board members are expected to vote on a final draft of the policy changes at their May 25 meeting. That meeting is scheduled for 5 p.m. at the School Support Center, 215 Manatee Ave. W., Bradenton.

School board meetings are also broadcast live on Spectrum Channel 646 and Frontier Channel 39, along with the Manatee Schools Television website, mstv.us.

To submit a public comment in advance, email public_comment@manateeschools.net.

This story was originally published April 30, 2021 at 2:59 PM.