Osceola County mandates masks for most students with opt-out choice

The school board will require that K through 8 students wear masks for 30 days starting Monday.

OSCEOLA COUNTY, Fla. - Some students in Osceola County will soon be required to wear face masks in class unless their parents opt them out.

The Osceola County School Board decided to make that change on Tuesday night. However, the change only affects certain grade levels.

The school board will require that K through 8 students wear masks for 30 days starting Monday. The details of the mandate are expected to be worked out on Wednesday.

Parents will be able to opt their children out of wearing masks through writing.

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For now, masks in high schools will remain optional.

At Tuesday night's meeting, many parents got up to share their feelings about a mask policy.

"The number of rising cases in children is crazy with delta variant right now. Yes, it is rare for a child to die, but it is happening. And one death is way too much," one parent said.

However, another parent said, "I don't know why our government even has to step in to make any choices for us and our children. I should have my choice and all the other parents I'm standing here for is the same thing."

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For now, children from kindergarten, elementary, and middle in Osceola County will be required to wear face masks in the classroom unless their parents opt them out.

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