Pasco County Schools will require masks on its school campuses through the end of the school year, Superintendent Kurt Browning said, recently in a video.
The superintendent said he previously misspoke when he said the district’s requirement was based on the governor’s executive order. Rather, he said, as superintendent he has the authority to require masks in a time of emergency, and the continuing COVID-19 pandemic constitutes an emergency.
Browning said a decision regarding masks for next school year will be made closer to that time.
Meanwhile, Browning also addressed the issue during a recent webinar hosted by the Greater Pasco Chamber of Commerce.
He said the decision to require masks through the end of the school year made some people happy and others, not.
“It’s not about making people happy, with me, it’s about making sure we have a safe environment for our students and our staff, and the visitors that come into our schools,” Browning said.
“You know, COVID has become very political, unfortunately. People are kind of polarized on two different sides. It’s either they will support vaccines, or they don’t. They support masks, or they don’t.
“We are having to make decisions of what we believe are in the best interest of our kids and our employees, based on CDC recommendations, and depending on where you are coming from — you just don’t subscribe to that, or you do subscribe to that,” Browning said.
Published May 05, 2021
