CLAY COUNTY – School boards throughout the state are working their way through an executive order that could decide the future of the 2021-22 school year after Gov. Ron DeSantis said state funding …
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CLAY COUNTY – School boards throughout the state are working their way through an executive order that could decide the future of the 2021-22 school year after Gov. Ron DeSantis said state funding would be withheld from school districts that mandate face masks.
It’s a hotly debated topic as some districts decide to fall in line with DeSantis’ thinking that masks should not be mandated while others search for ways to challenge the governor. The Clay County School Board has remained headstrong in its “masks are highly recommended but not mandated,” but Clay Today asked its readers what it thinks of DeSantis’ order and how it affects school boards and districts.
For the most part, Clay Today’s readers support DeSantis and his plan to disallow mask mandates from occurring in school districts throughout the state.
“He is protecting the rights and freedom for all to choose,” Daigle Woody said. “Take the vaccine or not, your choice. Wear a mask or not, your choice. Decisions on what you choose and what you choose to be best for you and your family and the consequences, which you know best, should be yours and no one else’s.”
Catrecia Lewis said DeSantis isn’t thinking about what’s in the best interest of the state, but she’s not surprised. She said that people arguing about individual rights overlook the fact the right to education and safety applies to all.
Kimberly Shadrock said it should be up to each individual family and student and that she’s grateful for DeSantis for standing up for it. More than three dozen other replies from Clay Today readers expressed similar opinions.
“It should 100% be the parent’s choice,” Nicole Daigle said. “I will never understand why people are so quick to give up their freedoms and allow a board, a judge, or someone of higher authority to dictate their lives. Do what you think is best for yourself and your family.”
However, during a school board meeting on Aug. 5, many residents from Clay County spoke in favor of a mandate. The main thing behind the idea of those who want a mandate is an extreme surge in COVID-19 cases in Florida, with Jacksonville and Clay County leading the pack.
Cases continue to rise; hospitals are already filling up again and a new school year is about to start.
Families and the students are navigating the waters of this new surge in COVID-19 cases in their own way, but for now, one thing is certain from the Clay County School Board and School District: masks are highly recommended and encouraged but not mandated.
For anyone who wants to be vaccinated, there are plenty of options in the county. If you’re 12 or older, you can receive a free vaccination at several locations. The CDC now recommends masking up even if vaccinated when indoors, and they strongly urge students 12 and older to be vaccinated before the school year.