COVID: Ocala schools delay out-of-state field trips, lest students get 'criminal records.'

The Marion County School Board has chosen not to issue a mask mandate like it did in August, and agreed to continue allowing volunteers in classrooms and in-state field trips through the end of the 2021-22 school year.

The board, however, announced Thursday that the schools will have to postpone out-of-state field trips because Florida law forbids a mandate on masks and vaccination passports, both of which are required by many states that students were going to visit.

The board hopes that after the current wave of the omicron – a SARS-CoV-2 variant that was identified in South Africa a few days before Thanksgiving – dissipates, destination states will relax their COVID-19 rules.

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"I think people were expecting that we were going to come out and try to bring out some mask mandate," said Eric Cummings, the school board chairman, during a board work session on Thursday. "We will be in compliance with the law. That is what we have been done the whole time."

Cummings continued, stating that "we're not asking for a mandate, but what we will be asking for, strongly encouraging people to do, (is) to please be safe as possible."

"We encourage you (parents and students) to just do the right thing," Cummings said. "I strongly suggest that you mask up if you need to, because we want to stop the spread of this virus."

Cummings noted that Mark Lander, administrator for the Florida Department of Health in Marion County, told the board on Thursday that Marion's seven-day positivity rate has risen from 5% the week of Christmas to 17.4% last week.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that Marion County's seven-day positivity rate had risen to 22.1% on Thursday. Seven-day hospitalizations also jumped from 68 on Wednesday to 75 on Thursday.

Back in August, during the last spike, which was pushed by the delta variant, Marion County's positivity rate topped 30% and seven-day hospitalizations hit 350, according to data provided daily by the CDC.

Volunteers can still visit schools under the same guidelines, board says

Melissa Kinard, area director of transformational schools, provided an update to the board about volunteers and what the district is planning during the omicron wave that is sweeping the county.

"Schools are continuing with our current procedures for volunteers and visitors on campus," she noted. "In addition, we do have a parent opt-out letter that can be filled out. It is located under that COVID tab on the district website."

That opt-out letter will allow parents who are uncomfortable with their children having face-to-face time with volunteers.

"All mitigation strategies are in place and schools will work to assign volunteers to specific classrooms as much as possible," Kinard said. "Volunteer events are scheduled outside as much as possible, in larger classrooms or larger areas, like our media centers on our campuses where social distancing can better occur."

Kinard also noted that schools are tracking classrooms and other areas that visitors and volunteers are occupying, as well as the duration of time they are visiting.

"And seating charts are created when they're with students," she noted. "Volunteers and visitors also complete our MCPS COVID Screening Questionnaire upon entering the front office based on Department of Health recommendations."

She added that many clubs and all athletics are held outside the school day and are optional and voluntary.

"We are continuing with our scheduled events and athletics," Kinard said. "The schools do encourage social distancing where possible, and mitigation strategies are being utilized at these events and athletics."

Out-of-state field trips are put on pause because of other states' COVID-19 rules

Kinard said several secondary schools were scheduled for out-of-state field trips, like to Washington D.C., in the coming weeks. The district has ruled that those trips must be postponed and rescheduled before school ends in May.

Kinard said the district could not meet the safety provisions of those states without violating Florida directives handed down by Gov. Ron DeSantis.

Cummings also directed a comment at the community, stating: "I want the parents to understand" that these destination states require masks and vaccination cards.

"And our state does not require those things," Cummings said. "Those trips, to my understanding, are going to be rescheduled for later this semester when things change."

Cummings added that neither the district nor the school board could "consciously and knowingly break the law of our state."

Thrower added that "there's a direct conflict with Florida statute for students, which states masking has to be completely optional." She continued, stating, "so in other states, masking is mandatory."

The board said sending students would basically be telling them that it is OK to violate a law of another state.

"We will not cause our kids to be getting criminal records because of a field trip," Cummings said. "That just won't happen."

Superintendent of Schools Diane Gullett said the district will continue with field trips that meet proper safety provisions.

"Area superintendents are working directly with schools to review each field trip before approval is granted," Gullett noted.

Board member Don Browning said "we want to be proper leaders." He said DeSantis is running the state correctly.

"We're doing the prudent thing," Browning said. "I think that's really important to say. I am 100% behind the chancellor, behind the governor, behind the Florida Department of Education, and our legislators."

Thrower said she hates to see students lose learning opportunities.

"And so let's just think very forward that these trips are being postponed, not eliminated," Thrower said.

Vice Chairwoman Allison Campbell said she wants to think positive, but they should be realistic that "we are at the mercy of what these other states have in place."

Campbell said the states must resolve their mandates. If they don't, then a field trip to Washington D.C. will have to become a trip to the Kennedy Space Center, Tallahassee or St. Augustine, instead.

Browning said he also wanted to discuss the financial hardship of parents who may lose money due to cancelations. He asked how the district will help them if they do.

Gullett said most companies have a provision in place that will cover refunds if field trips are canceled because of restrictions.

"So that is already underway," she said. "We're working through them."

Cummings added that the district has been proactive with proms and other events "to make sure the families of the students do not have to bear the brunt of this and making sure that we end up in proper contracts."

"Our attorney, in the past, has made sure that those things were done appropriately, and make sure those provisions were within those contracts," Cummings said.

Joe Callahan can be reached at (352) 817-1750 or at joe.callahan@starbanner.com. Follow him on Twitter @JoeOcalaNews.

This article originally appeared on Ocala Star-Banner: COVID-19: No mask mandate in Marion schools; some field trips paused