Parents rally outside school board mask mandate meeting

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — Student mask policy rules will be loosened at schools in Brevard and Marion counties.

Other school districts, like Seminole and Orange counties, are set to drop their mandates at the end of the week.

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Some parents think the change is happening too soon. People on both sides of the mask debate gathered outside the Orange County Public School headquarters.

The rally is called “Don’t Stop Now.” The group believes it is too soon to let our guard down from COVID-19, and they are fighting for their kids to stay masked.

“Our numbers are improving in different areas, but we’re so close to a new goal with children 5 to 11,” said Jenifer Hill, an Orange County school district parent.

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Children aged 5 to 11 could be eligible to get a COVID-19 vaccine as early as next month.

The current school district mask mandate ends Saturday.

Right now, the county’s rolling positivity rate is about 4%, but Hill believes the risk is still out there with so many kids still ineligible to be vaccinated.

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It’s why she’s a part of the group asking the district to extend its policy to at least winter break.

Hill believes the longer we use precautions, the safer we’ll be keeping COVID-19 out of the classroom.

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“All of those kids whose parents want them to get vaccinated will have adequate time to get vaccinated,” Hill said.

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