‘We can get to the finish line.’ Masks to remain for now, Manatee School Board says

Manatee County students and school employees will continue using masks to protect against COVID-19.

When the school board voted to approve a mask policy on Nov. 10, it also agreed to review the mandate every 90 days. The policy will remain in place until a majority of the board votes to change course.

On Tuesday evening, the board’s first scheduled review, board member Gina Messenger asked Superintendent Cynthia Saunders for her recommendation.

“Due to the current conditions that exist in Manatee County, we recommend no changes to the policy at this time,” Saunders said.

Scott Hopes, a school board member and epidemiologist, was quick to support the recommendation. He said the mask mandate allowed schools to remain open as a growing number of students choose to learn in person.

And the number of COVID-19 cases and exposures in local schools were far lower than the surrounding community — evidence that current measures were effective, he continued.

As of Tuesday evening, about one month after the start of the second semester, the School District of Manatee County has recorded 246 COVID-19 cases and more than 3,400 exposures to the infected employees and students

That was a sharp increase from the beginning of the first semester. However, district leaders have applauded the effort to protect schools from the spread in Manatee County, which recorded 29,690 cases and 510 deaths as of Tuesday.

“We’ve been able to maintain very limited cases within the school district,” Hopes said. “We’ve been able to contain the number of quarantines. It’s lower than the community in general. The CDC has not changed its guidelines in regard to schools and the mask recommendation.”

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention largely recommend the use of face masks in K-12 schools. The agency also reduced the quarantine time for exposed people from 14 days to between seven and 10 days, depending on the circumstances.

That means less disruption for students and district employees who are exposed to COVID-19 and required to isolate at home.

“I’m totally supportive,” Chairman Charlie Kennedy said. “We just keep doing what we’re doing and we let the CDC guide us.”

Tuesday’s decision did not require a vote. And as the board threw its support behind the continued mask requirement, the district’s head of strategic planning, Kevin Chapman, offered some reminders for the community.

Students and district employees should stay home if they feel sick. They should also stay home if they were exposed to COVID-19, and the same is true for anyone with a pending COVID-19 test, he said.

“If we can stay with those three rules, we can get to the finish line,” Chapman said.

This story was originally published February 9, 2021 at 9:21 PM.