>>MARY BAER: AND THAT BREAKING NEWS FROM THE DUVAL COUNTY SCHOOL BOARD TONIGHT, THE
DISTRICT HAS JOINED OTHERS
AROUND
THE STATE VOTING TO PUT INTO
PLACE A MASK MANDATE DESPITE
THE EXECUTIVE ORDER FROM
GOVERNOR RON DESANTIS BANNING
SUCH RULES. THE SCHOOL BOARD
VOTED AFTER AN HOURS LONG
MEETING THIS STARTED THIS
AFTERNOON AND RAN WELL INTO THE
NIGHT DOZENS OF PEOPLE TOOK TO
THE PODIUM TO SUPPORT OR
OPPOSE.
>>MARY BAER: A DISTRICT-WIDE
MASK MANDATE.
NOW THIS VOTE COMES AS NEW
NUMBERS TELL A STORY ABOUT THE
STATE OF DUVAL SCHOOLS AND
COVID-19 226 NEW CASES IN THE
DUVAL COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT
REPORTED TONIGHT. THAT IS THE
LARGEST SINGLE-DAY INCREASE
SINCE THE BEGINNING OF
THE PANDEMIC.
>> IN JUST UNDER 2 WEEKS SINCE
SCHOOL STARTED THE DISTRICT IS
REPORTING A TOTAL OF 815 CASES
TONIGHT THAT IS MORE THEN 700
OF THOSE WHO
ARE STUDENTS.
>>MARY BAER: AND MORE THAN HALF
THE CASES ARE AMONG SOME OF THE
YOUNGEST STUDENTS ELEMENTARY
STUDENTS AND STAFF HAVE BEEN
LEADING THE NUMBER OF CASES
SINCE THE FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL
ON AUGUST 10TH.
>> IN TOTAL WE’RE TALKING
815 CASES IN JUST 9 SCHOOL DAYS
AND ALL OF LAST YEAR DUVAL
COUNTY
PUBLIC SCHOOLS AT JUST UNDER
2500 CASES SO UNDER THE RULE
PASSED TONIGHT ALL STUDENTS
MUST WEAR A MASK FOR A 90 DAY
PERIOD.
>> THAT 90 DAYS STARTS
SEPTEMBER 7TH NEWS 4 JAX
REPORTER BREA ICE AND WAS AT
TONIGHT’S MEETING IN BREA THERE
IS A WAY STUDENTS CAN OPT OUT.
>>JOY PURDY: YES, AND THAT IS A MEDICAL EXEMPTION FROM A LICENSED PHYSICIAN DOCTOR IN
THE AREA THEY NEED
TO HAVE AMEN TOLL PHYSICAL OR
PSYCHOLOGICAL EFFECT THAT WOULD
THAT WOULD ALLOW THEM NOT TO WEAR A MASK AND I EXPLAINED IT HERE.
♪
>> AFTER AN 8 HOUR MEETING THE DUVAL COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOL BOARD APPROVED AN EMERGENCY
RULE 5 TO 2 TO REQUIRE MASKS
FOR ALL STUDENTS STARTING
SEPTEMBER 7TH FOR A
90 DAY PERIOD. STUDENTS DON’T
HAVE TO WEAR MASKS IF THEY’RE
ACTIVELY
PLAYING SPORTS STUDENTS MAY
ONLY OPT OUT IF THEY HAVE
EXEMPTION FROM A HEALTH CARE
PROVIDER AND IF THEY HAVE
MENTAL PHYSICAL OR
PSYCHOLOGICAL CONDITIONS.
SCHOOL BOARD MEMBERS HAD
DIFFERENT OPINIONS BEFORE
APPROVING THE MANDATE.
MY FEAR.
>> IS THAT YOU ARE
♪
>> TAKING AWAY A PARENT’S
RIGHT.
TO LISTEN TO THE ADVICE OF
THEIR PEDIATRICIAN.
>> WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO
DO SOMETHING AND I KNOW IT’S A
DIFFERENT IN BOLD MOVE BUT WE
HAVE TO DO SOMETHING TO PROTECT
OUR STAFF AND
OUR STUDENTS.
>>JOY PURDY: MORE THAN 65
COMMUNITY MEMBERS ALSO CAME TO
SHARE THEIR OPINIONS BEFORE THE
DECISION WAS MADE.
>> I BELIEVE THAT.
>> IF YOU DON’T OFTEN GET TERRIBLY THAT SOME DO IT. BUT THOSE
CHILDREN ALSO IT BRINGS THAT
FIRE HOME TO THEIR
IMMUNOCOMPROMISED PARENT. >> SCHOOL BOARD MEMBER ELIZABETH ANDERSON SAYS EVEN
THOUGH THE GOVERNOR HAS
THREATENED SCHOOLBOARD
SALARIES, THE STUDENTS SAFETY
IS
WORTH IT.
>> I THINK WE’VE SEEN SEVERAL
DISTRICTS ACROSS THE STATE KEEP
THE OFT OUT
IN TIME. THE EXTRA LAYER OF
MEDICAL REQUIREMENT. AND I
THINK THAT THAT STILL LEAVES IT
UP TO THE PARENT AND THERE
PEDIATRICIAN.
>> YOU KNOW OUR SALARIES ARE
DEFINITELY SECONDARY TO MAKING
SURE THAT WE’RE OPERATING A
SAFE SCHOOL DISTRICT.
>>JOY PURDY: NOW THE SUPERINTENDENT HAS THE ABILITY TO SUSPEND THIS MANDATE BEFORE
THE 90 DAYS ARE OVER, REPORTING
LIVE FREE CHANNEL 4. THE LOCAL
STATION.
>> THE REPUBLICAN PARTY OF
DUVAL COUNTY REACTED IN THE
MOMENTS AFTER THE SCHOOL
BOARD’S VOTE PUTTING ON A
SERIES OF TWEETS SAYING IN PART
BY THEIR VOTE THIS EVENING, THE
DUVAL COUNTY SCHOOL BOARD HAS
BLATANTLY DEFIED
FLORIDA LAW AND GOVERNOR RON
DESANTIS BY VIOLATING THE
GOVERNOR’S EXECUTIVE ORDER AND
THE PARENTS BILL OF RIGHTS
REMOVING THE OPT-OUT FOR MASKS
IN OUR SCHOOLS,
FORCING KINDERGARTNERS FIRST
GRADERS AND THE LIKE TO WEAR
MASKS IS A SHAMEFUL OVERREACH
OF POWER BY A GROUP OF COWARDLY