SARASOTA COUNTY, Fla — Editor's note: The video above is from Saturday, Aug. 21, 2021.
As the Sarasota County School system prepares for the start of its temporary emergency face mask policy, it sent a letter out to parents ahead of the change across all schools in the district.
Within the letter that explained why the mask policy was being implemented was a COVID-19 Face Covering Certification.
The form is for parents who choose to opt their child out of wearing a face mask indoors during school hours if their child has a medical exception or if wearing a face mask would not be consistent with a student's Individualized Education Plan (IEP).
The district said in the first two weeks of students returning to school they immediately saw a transmission rate spike and placed a hold on all field trips and non-essential people on school campuses for 30 days.
And most recently, the school board passed a 90-day temporary emergency face mask policy for students and staff inside school buildings.
In the letter to parents, Sarasota County Schools said, "School Boards are making various decisions regarding the masking of their students. One thing is abundantly clear: there is no simple solution."
The new face mask policy goes into effect Aug. 23 and will be fully implemented by Monday, Aug. 30, Sarasota County Schools says.