The face covering policy will end on the last day of the current spring semester. Author: 10 Tampa Bay Updated: 12:19 PM EDT May 4, 2021 PINELLAS COUNTY, Fla. — Students won't be required to wear face masks when they return to class this fall in Pinellas County. On Tuesday, Pinellas County Schools announced its intention to rescind the school board policy mandating face coverings on campus. The plan is to remove that requirement at 5 p.m. on June 9, after students leave on the last day of class in the 2020-2021 school year. The timing is based on the district's effort to make sure any staff members who wish to be vaccinated against COVID-19 have the chance to do so before the rules change. The district also took into consideration the fact that parents knew there was a face mask rule at the time they made decisions about whether to have their children do in-person learning for the spring 2021 semester. So, district leaders didn't want to change the policy until the semester concluded.