ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla — When St. Johns County students return to school Monday, they will be required to wear masks and can be removed from in-person learning if they don't abide by the district's mask code.
On Tuesday, the district held a meeting where school board members unanimously passed an emergency order granting wide-ranging authority to Superintendent Tim Forson to enforce a mandatory mask policy.
"All students, faculty, staff, volunteers, vendors and visitors shall wear masks and face coverings while in District schools and facilities, on District buses, or attending school or school-sponsored activities," the order reads.
Students who violate the order can be pulled from brick-and-mortar learning and reassigned to distance learning after verbal and written communication to parents, and a parent conference.
The order defines the threshold for reassignment, stating: "For purpose of this rule, a student who fails to wear a mask or face covering when required on more than three (3) occasions shall be deemed to have repeatedly failed to do so."
Michelle Dillon, President of St. Johns Education Association, said the teachers she represents had been looking for autonomy in the classroom when it comes to COVID-19 safety precautions.
"Especially for teachers who can't practice social distancing in their classroom or may have a health issue, we want them to have that extra bit of authority to say their students, for that period or a portion of the day, must keep their masks on," she said.
The rules strengthening comes on the heels of a decision by a circuit judge striking Florida's requirement that schools reopen physically or be denied funding as "unconstitutional."
According to a district spokesperson, 75 percent of St. Johns County students will return to the physical classroom on Monday.