Private Schools Easing Restrictions As Palm Beach County Public Schools Show Dramatic Decline In New Cases.
BY: STAFF REPORT | BocaNewsNow.com
BOCA RATON, FL (BocaNewsNow.com) (Copyright © 2022 MetroDesk Media, LLC) — Area private schools, not subject to the mask mandate ban ordered by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, are slowly starting to ease or eliminate the mask mandates that have been in effect since August.
Pine Crest, with campuses in Boca Raton and Fort Lauderdale, ended its mask mandate days ago and is now adopting a “mask optional” policy. American Heritage, with campuses in Delray Beach and Plantation, announced that it may move to a “mask optional” policy later this month. Both schools are being credited with exceptional COVID control. A roadmap of policies and plans for St. Andrews school wasn’t immediately available.
Meantime, the Palm Beach County School District — while showing a dramatic decline in new cases — is expected to hit another ominous milestone within the next few days: 13,000 COVID-19 cases during the 2021-2022 school year. With student mask mandates prohibited by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, COVID spread uncontrollably across the school district, more than tripling the 3,855 cases recorded during all of the 2020-2021 school year. The case count stands at 12,968 early Monday morning.
Of the top ten schools with the highest COVID-19 counts in Palm Beach County, three spots belong to schools in Boca Raton: Olympic Heights High School has reported 214 COVID-19 cases this school year, Spanish River High has reported 205 cases, and Boca Raton High School has reported 183 cases.
