TAMPA, Fla — With a unanimous vote, the Sarasota School Board on Tuesday rescinded a mandate requiring masks in schools, SNN reported.
The mask mandate was suspended in September after the positivity rate for the county dropped below 8% for three consecutive days, and the district made face masks optional.
The board voted 5-0 to fully repeal the mandate on Tuesday.
“I’m glad to see us rescind this,” said board chairman Bridget Ziegler. “I don’t want to spend any more money on legal battles and I do believe we would be facing that as well.”
The State Board of Education had considered disciplinary action against 11 school boards that imposed student mask requirements, including Sarasota County’s after Gov. Ron DeSantis signed an executive order banning districts from imposing mask mandates, and the state threatened to withhold their funding.
The change would make the school district compliant with DeSantis’ rule.