Since the start of the 2021 school year, the heads of several districts in Florida, including those in South Florida, have been battling with state Governor Ron DeSantis over mask mandates for students.
DeSantis says that no school district has total control to decide what is best for students, and that imposing a mask mandate – with no opt-out option is essentially stripping parents of their rights. School districts, on the other hand, say they have a responsibility to protect all students and staff.
The ongoing battle has even caught the attention of the White House, with President Joe Biden commending local school districts for their mask rules. Some districts in Florida, like Broward and Miami-Dade, have eased their mask requirements for students. But the mandates are essentially still in place, as well as the financial consequences imposed by the state.
We asked our readers, who should decide whether or not students wear masks?
Alysia Davis – People will say, “Well, I go to the store, and I’m not wearing masks. And I haven’t gotten COVID.” But schools are kind of special environments, and people spend a lot of time in them. So, if there is a person who has COVID at some school, your risk of getting exposed, if you’re in that classroom, is pretty high. With that being said, I feel as though the school district should have the last say if mask mandates are implemented or not parents can run their territory at home but when it comes to school grounds school officials should have the final say.
Leah Douglas – Parental rights in the public school context have never been absolute. Certainly parents can direct the upbringing of their own children and make medical decisions and education decisions. They have the right to send their children to private school or to home school, but at the same time, these rights have never been absolute. At the end of the day, I feel as though parents or guardians should be able to make the final decision as to if their kids should wear masks or not.
Chasity Arny – These are my rights as a parent and they don’t get to decide how I raise them and what I believe is true and factual. It’s disgusting what’s being done and I don’t agree with it. Children aren’t even at high risk for contracting the virus and now they have a vaccine available so my children will be getting vaccinated as soon as possible. I just feel so there could be other precautions that can be taken outside of them enforcing these mask mandates such as separating the desk or putting up shield protectors by the desk to limit the spread of the virus.
Roshel Bailey – I think at this point in the pandemic, parents should decide. If it was when COVID-19 just started, then I would totally understand forcing it. But there isn’t even a mask mandate in the state of Florida or in any community, so I don’t see why the schools are forcing our little babies to wear them.
Krystal McCray – Schools must be able to ensure the safety of all students, educators and their families, and prohibiting mask mandates flies in the face of science, public health and common sense.
Martin Cambero – Mask policies should be enforced by the school. In a state where you have one of the lower vaccination rates, [no masks] becomes problematic because some parents will not be sensitive to masks. So no matter how well you protect your child, no matter how small you make their social circle, no matter how much you wash their hands, wear a mask, and you’re thinking about everyone else, if every other parent isn’t doing that, and sending their kid into the same small, overcrowded classroom that your kid in, that’s a risk.
