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Cape Coral Charter school board passes mask mandate in wake of COVID outbreak

Nearly half the students, staff, have or have been exposed to virus

By Staff | Aug 28, 2021

With nearly half of its students and staff either infected or exposed to COVID-19, the Cape Coral Charter School Governing Board approved a 90-day mask mandate at an emergency meeting called Friday.

The vote was 4-2 to require masks at the four schools within the municipal school system.

Officials said the number of those infected or quarantined is due to the Delta variant after having only 200 cases of the virus last school year.

The meeting, as opposed to those at which there has been lots of yelling and screaming, was relatively civil, with only a few interruptions.

Most of the parents who spoke were against a mask mandate, saying it should remain the parent’s choice to decide if their children should mask up for school and that much of what has been reported in the news is more about hysteria.

One of those in favor of parent decision was Dan Sheppard, the city of Cape Coral’s District 2 council member, who added the real problem is that most people don’t wear their masks properly.

“The parent should have the right to decide whether their child should wear a mask or not. My wife is a health professional and she explained how to wear a mask,” Sheppard said. “I’ve been observing all the people here and the majority of you have already failed.”

However, there were some who approved the mask mandate, including a Lee Health worker, with a high schooler attending Oasis, who has had to comfort those who have lost loved ones.

“We’re sending a child who is asthmatic to school with children who are not masked. Where I work, I come to see nine death certificates on my desk for people who are my age,” she said. “We teach these kids to buckle their seat belts and to sit in a car seat because that’s what’s best for them.”

Another speaker, Robert Mariachi, a parent of an Oasis Middle schooler, said it’s more traumatic when someone’s parent dies than it is for kids to wear a mask.

“I’m sure you have your favorite Facebook group telling you masks don’t work. This is easy. Last year we learned virtually, wore masks and didn’t have half the school quarantined,” Mariachi said. “You can all enjoy your Herman Cain Freedom Award, but I want to live.”

There was also a letter written by Lee Health physicians read by Superintendent of Schools Jacqueline Collins and signed by more than 190 physicians stating their support for a mask mandate.

Collins, along with systemwide nurse Melanie Klagas, presented their case in support of the mask mandate.

“As the number of cases increased, so did the number of cases in our schools. On the first day of school, we were notified of 27 positive cases and 42 quarantined students and staff due to exposure in the home,” Klagas said. “Now, the community has a positivity rate of 30 percent, higher than the entire state of Florida. We can’t keep up with the demand.”

Board member Michael Campbell said parents choose to send their kids to the charter schools and can choose to remove them.

“The governor’s order was specific to school districts and we are not a school district. That was overturned today and takes effect Monday,” Campbell said. “I agree with everyone’s right to choose and I feel for everyone concerned with their children’s health. We need to be able to have virtual learning.”

Gloria Raso Tate and Susan Mitchell voted against the measure.