The tide is turning against measures taken to restrict coronavirus exposure in Central Florida’s public schools.
Both Volusia and Seminole counties started the process of terminating their mask mandates for students and faculty this week. And Orange County Public Schools has axed the online education program that kept kids out of schools throughout the pandemic.
The Volusia County school board voted to temporarily amend their mask policy, making masks for faculty and students optional rather than mandatory. Seminole County took similar measures during a contentious school board meeting on May 12 in which several parents had to be escorted from the building. After heated debate, they also voted to move toward ending their mask mandate.
And in an Orange County school board meeting, superintendent Barbara Jenkins announced that they would not be running the online learning portal LaunchED@Home in the coming school year. Jenkins said the county couldn’t leave parents and students in suspense as they await a final decision on the program from the state’s Department of Education.
Jenkins pointed out that Seminole, Brevard, Osceola, Lake and Volusia counties have all made the same decision. She says that families and teachers in Orange County “should not have to continue to wait.”