After a hard fight against Florida and their school counties for a required mask mandate, Broward County Schools has made wearing masks optional to high school students.

Starting this week, November 1, 2021, The school board of Broward County lifted the mask mandate to high school students, while voting 5-3 on still requiring a mask mandate for elementary and middle school students.

Several of the Broward County school board members have only agreed with the lift because most students in high school are at the age where vaccination is an option for them.

According to Centers of Disease Control and Prevention, 12 years and older are able to get their COVID-19 vaccination shots, which does not include most middle school and elementary students.

Vickie Cartwright, Interim Superintendent, has stated that masks should be kept optional for all students as long as the Coronavirus positivity rate is below five percent.

Broward County is one of the many counties that have regulated a required mask mandate at the beginning of this school year, following the suggestions of CDC guidelines.

This resulted in Governor Ron DeSantis banning masks in Florida schools, and when Broward did not listen, he called an action plan to cut their school funding.

Joe Biden’s Administration’s responded by offering to cover their funds.