With the start of school inching ever closer and COVID-19 numbers trending up, Alachua County School Board members must decide what to do on a topic near and dear to families: Whether to insist that children wear masks while at school.
As the virus numbers waned in the spring, school system officials announced in April that masks would be optional for the 2021-22 school year, which begins Aug. 10.
Since then, Alachua County saw 372 new virus cases last week and the positivity rate for new cases was 8.3%, as the Delta variant sweeps the country.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced earlier this month that unvaccinated children in K-12 schools should wear a mask, while vaccinated children can go without. But there is no vaccine for students in grades K-6, as one must be 12 years old to be inoculated.
The charter school plan was presented by Everett Caudle, director of project development, and the charter school board s president, Sylvia Paluzzi.
Despite the School Board s 4-1 vote to approve the plan, there were a few concerns among board members. Board member Robert Hyatt voted against the plan.
There are 13 charter schools in Alachua County. Some of them focus on building leadership skills, others focus on incorporating yoga and exercise into their curriculum and others concentrate on students with learning disabilities.
Vice Chair Tina Certain said she doesn t want students to leave the district, then eventually return to it, lagging academically.