4,700 DCPS students have opted-out of wearing masks ahead of the first day of school

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — It is less than 24 hours away from the start of school for thousands of students on the First Coast, and as of Monday, 4,700 parents have opted their children out of wearing a mask for this school year.

Duval County Public Schools Superintendent Diana Greene put out a video message on the topic to parents Monday.

“We want to keep schools and classrooms open and children in class as much as possible,” she said. “That means we need everyone to do their part and make the sacrifices necessary to make schools as safe and healthy as possible.”

With 127,108 students enrolled to attend in-person classes, the number of students opting out of wearing masks represents about 3.7%.

It is important to note that the number also includes students attending charter schools in Duval County. The mask mandate only applies to DCPS schools, so charter schools could choose to follow DCPS or set their own rules.

Some parents who opted out of their children wearing masks said they will leave it up to their kids and how they feel at school as long as they have the choice.

Shannon Russell-Hinds, a teacher at Sandalwood High School, said she is excited for the new school year, but also has some apprehension given the current surge of COVID-19 cases in the community.

“I feel more prepared, but you know what, last year it was mandatory. No matter what, everyone had to wear masks,” she said. “This year, not everyone has to wear masks. This year everyone’s back in school.”

As of Monday, Russell-Hinds said about 9% of her students have opted out of wearing masks.

In Greene’s message to the DCPS community, she said, “A vaccinated community is the strongest defense against spreading COVID-19, but until we get vaccination levels where they need to be, face coverings are our next best defense ... I strongly encourage you to wear a face-covering during the school day and at school-related events, and if you are sick, please protect yourself and others by staying at home.”

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