The Snowflakes perform with Santa’s very own North Pole boy band. - Kristin Swain | Sun
The fifth-grade cast of “The Magic of Christmas” strikes a pose after receiving a standing ovation on Dec. 19 at The Center of Anna Maria Island. From left, back row, are Mrs. Stephanie Davis, Vincent Myers, Sam May, Stryder Petitt, Jase Moore, Gunnar Maize, Sawyer Leibfried, Kellan Oelfke, Colten DeBerry, Eastin Walker. From left, front row, are Kellan Reed, Leo Tyler, Jack Palmer, Roman Smith, Fabian Cianciarelli, Grayson Hinckle, Brandon Sato, Aria Thomas and Sofia Hendrickson. - Kristin Swain | Sun
The Snowflakes, Aria Thomas and Sofia Hendrickson, perform Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas Is You” Dec. 19 during the Anna Maria Elementary School fifth-grade performance of “The Magic of Christmas” at The Center. - Kristin Swain | Sun
The cast of “The Magic of Christmas,” a musical holiday production performed by 18 Anna Maria Elementary School fifth-graders, dance together to “I’ve Got The Magic In Me.” - Kristin Swain | Sun
HOLMES BEACH – As children stock up on supplies and pick out their perfect outfits for the first day of school, Anna Maria Elementary School staff, including the new incoming principal, Katie Fradley, are working to make AME the best it can be for an exciting year of learning.
The Sun spoke to Fradley about what is in store for students this year.
With the first day of school coming Monday, Aug. 12, what are you doing to prepare?
Fradley: We have been working all summer to prepare our campus for our students’ safe return on Aug. 12. Our playground has seen some updates this summer. We had a new back stop installed, repaired some sidewalk damage and will be replacing clay and grass on the field. We are also in the process of adding fencing to our car rider drop off area that will ensure a safe environment at arrival and dismissal. We are incredibly excited about our new teaching and learning deck. It will have been worth the wait! The deck will be completed this fall and will provide an outdoor teaching space that includes a portable touch tank for our students to complete marine biology lessons and experiments overlooking the bay.
Is there anything special planned for the first day?
Fradley: We will welcome our families to campus for Open House on Thursday, Aug. 8. During Open House they will meet their teacher and staff and visit with friends. Then we are so excited to welcome our students back on Aug. 12! On the first day of school, we will host a “Meet and Greet” for our kindergarten parents and the parents of new students in our auditorium at 8:30 a.m. This is an AME tradition and is a perfect opportunity to introduce our leadership team and share information about our incredible school with our newest dolphins.
AME has many annual events such as Peace Day. As a new principal, do you have anything new planned for this year?
Fradley: I am looking forward to continuing well-loved AME traditions such as Peace Day as well as bringing some new events to campus. Our school wide theme this year is, “Dolphins make a difference.” As a school community we will be exploring what we can each do to make a difference in our school, community and our world. We will be sharing more information on this exciting initiative after the students return.
What do you hope to bring to AME as you begin your first year as principal?
Fradley: As I look forward to my first year as principal of AME, I hope to bring positive energy and a passion for making a difference to our school. I look forward to strengthening our enrollment, continuing our history of strong academic achievement and helping our teachers to inspire our students to make a difference in their school, community and the world.
HOLMES BEACH – Anna Maria Elementary School (AME) Principal Mike Masiello announced his retirement earlier this month, and Willis Elementary School Assistant Principal Katie Fradley has accepted the job.
The Sun recently spoke to her regarding her new position.
“My career spans 34 years. Thirty of those years were spent right here in Manatee County and four of them in Hawaii,” she said. “I hold a bachelor’s degree in elementary education from FSU, a master’s degree in reading from USF and a Ph.D. in curriculum and instruction from USF. I’m a teacher at heart and was a teacher for 21 years at Braden River, Sea Breeze and Rowlett. When I left the classroom, I served as a reading coach at Moody Elementary, a literary coach at a private school in Hawaii, and an instructional specialist with the school district. I then moved into administration in 2020 when Mr. Masiello hired me as assistant principal at Ballard Elementary School. After working at Ballard for two years, I moved to Willis Elementary School, a large school in Lakewood Ranch with tremendous family involvement, as assistant principal.
“I look forward to bringing my own passion and excitement for teaching and learning to AME, as well as carrying on the traditions that have been established throughout the years,” Fradley said. “As I settle into the role, I look forward to seeing how I can maintain the unique historical qualities of the AME experience while ensuring that the students are also provided with opportunities for growth and success.
“AME is magical!” she said. “I love its charm, starting with its traditions, small student body, family-like atmosphere and community involvement. The partnership with the Guy Harvey Foundation has so much potential to have a major impact on our community, and I look forward to being very involved. I am so excited to get to know each of the families and to support and nurture every child as they move through the AME experience.”
Principal Masiello, who has been at AME since 2020, said he was retiring to spend more time with his family, and requires surgery in the coming months with a lengthy recovery time and felt it was the right time to step down.
“I love AME and it’s been an amazing time here at this special school,” Masiello said, adding that he believes the school is in very good hands.
“Getting to be involved in the Guy Harvey Academy has been a highlight of my time here, and I know the school will continue to grow and provide a learning experience like no other. I wish the new principal the best,” said Masiello, whose retirement wraps up an almost 30-year career in the Manatee County School system.
HOLMES BEACH – Friends, family and Anna Maria Elementary (AME) staff gathered at the school on Saturday to honor Kim Bobo and dedicate a memorial garden in her honor.
The beloved member of the AME staff worked as the school’s speech pathologist for 34 years, touching many lives in the process.
Bobo and her husband, Allen, moved to Anna Maria Island in 1988, having their son, Matt, shortly after. She finished her master’s degree in speech while her children were young and began her career at AME. Anyone who has visited the AME campus is familiar with the red train caboose on the property. Although it is used for storage today, when Mrs. Bobo joined the AME family, it was her first classroom.
“You talk about finding a place in paradise,” Allen Bobo said. “Anna Maria Island in general, then you find this school and wind up in the caboose by the bay. It was just paradise for her and she absolutely loved it.”
Allen Bobo was vice-president of The Center of Anna Maria Island for 16 years and recalls the kids coming to The Center for activities, and how it fostered a camaraderie among the people who call AMI home.
“All the kids on the Island were playing all these sports at the community center, so you sat there in the bleachers with everybody,” he said. “Everybody got to know each other. The old joke was, ‘It takes a community to raise a kid.’ Everybody raised each other’s kids out here.”
In honor of her service to AME and the thousands of children over the years who’ve passed through the school’s doors, a memorial garden has been created on the property, ensuring her memory will live on for many years to come.
“They did a friendship memorial garden in her honor,” Bobo’s son, Matt, said. “Some teachers and former staff came out last week and helped dig up what was there and re-plant and put down mulch to make it nice. A plaque should be here in the coming days that will stand in the garden.”
Fundraising efforts from the AME PTO helped make the garden possible.
“Mrs. Bobo was a long-time, valued staff member of the AME family, spending her entire career at AME,” AME Principal Mike Masiello said. “She was an outstanding person and speech-language pathologist and will be missed. We are happy to be able to dedicate a garden space in her name. Kim was a friend to all and touched so many lives, especially students and staff at AME.”
HOLMES BEACH – Prior to the start of the 2022-23 school year, Anna Maria Elementary School (AME) announced it would be home to the world’s first Guy Harvey Academy of Arts and Science, and Dr. Harvey dedicated the academy in person on Friday.
The academy, which focuses on marine sciences, conservation and the arts, is a collaboration between the School District of Manatee County and the Guy Harvey Ocean Foundation (GHOF).
With the academy up and running and students and staff beyond enthusiastic, Harvey met students and staff and saw the academy’s progress on dedication day.
From left, Executive Director of Elementary Schools Annette Codelia, Manatee County School Board member Gina Messenger, School Board Chairman Chad Choate, AME Principal Mike Masiello, Dr. Guy Harvey, School Superintendent Cynthia Saunders, Manatee County Administrator Scott Hopes, School Board member Mary Foreman and School Board member Richard Tatem cut the ribbon for Guy Harvey Academy of Arts and Science at Anna Maria Elementary School. – Jason Schaffer | Sun
Harvey has devoted his talent, time and resources to protect oceans, fish populations and reef systems through the development of the Guy Harvey Research Institute at Nova Southeastern University and the GHOF. Those institutions have made numerous contributions to protecting fish resources and biodiversity in the world’s oceans.
Harvey is also an internationally known artist, and his artwork is regularly featured in galleries, on his hugely successful line of apparel and many other products. He holds a degree in marine biology from Aberdeen University in Scotland and a doctorate in fisheries management from the University of West Indies.
“This is really a template, we’re just getting started on a very long journey of educating kids about the value of marine science and the value of conserving our marine environments,” Harvey said. “I’m not a tree hugger, I love to fish and I eat fish. I’m a normal human being, but I do see the devastation that people have caused in not only Florida, but the Caribbean where I live and other countries and I know that we can do better.”
The collaboration happened quickly after School Superintendent Cynthia Saunders met representatives from GHOF at a conference. The school’s waterfront location on Anna Maria Island made AME the perfect place to launch the academy, and it didn’t take long before both parties agreed to move forward with the project, which began at the start of the 2022-23 school year.
Dr. Guy Harvey speaks to students and staff at Anna Maria Elementary School before taking a tour of the school, including the new Guy Harvey Academy of Arts and Science. – Jason Schaffer | Sun
“Today is an exciting day for Anna Maria Elementary School and the School District of Manatee County to be able to formalize the establishment of the first-ever Guy Harvey Academy of Arts & Science at Anna Maria Elementary School,” AME Principal Mike Masiello said. “Having this innovative program in Manatee County in partnership with such a well-respected name as Dr. Guy Harvey is an amazing opportunity. Students will be able to participate in lessons that support a true STEAM approach, learning math and science through an art lens. The lessons also take learning about our marine environment and conservation to a deeper level.”
The program will benefit students from other schools as well with field trips and summer camps and will eventually expand to all elementary schools in the district as well as to complementary programs at King Middle and Manatee High, he said.
“I would like to acknowledge our teachers, staff, parents and the community here at Anna Maria Elementary for embracing this new initiative. Thank you to Superintendent Saunders, school district staff and The Guy Harvey Foundation for all of their hard work in creating a program which will have a positive impact on our students and our community for generations to come.”
Not a bad view from the schoolyard,” joked Dr. Guy Harvey, while talking to AME Principal Mike Masiello about the school’s unique location on the bay. – Jason Schaffer | Sun
After a formal ribbon-cutting ceremony with school officials, Harvey toured the school and the grounds before meeting several students participating in the program who showed him some of the projects they had completed in the academy.
“I love how excited they are about this, it’s incredible, and they’ve done some really good work,” Harvey said. “I really enjoyed getting to speak with them.”
HOLMES BEACH – Anna Maria Elementary School fifth grader Charlee Maize has her artwork displayed in an unconventional place – in the window of Holmes Beach Police Officer Christine LaBranche’s patrol vehicle.
As the school’s resource officer, LaBranche is a daily presence at AME and a friend of students and staff alike.
LaBranche presented school Principal Mike Masiello with the idea to create a contest for fifth graders to create artwork honoring police officers and their work in the community.
The winner’s artwork would be turned into a decal to be placed on the officer’s patrol vehicle. With Maisello’s support, the contest was held with the theme of “police protecting our community.” After reviewing all of the submitted artwork, HBPD Chief Bill Tokajer chose Maize as the winner.
Holmes Beach Police Chief Bill Tokajer congratulates fifth grader Charlee Maize on her contest-winning artwork, which will spend the rest of the school year on School Resource Officer Christine LaBranche’s patrol vehicle. – Submitted
“The idea was brought to me by Officer LaBranche, and I loved it,” Masiello said. “She said she had seen it somewhere else, and it would be great for community relations and I agreed.”
Tokajer presented Maize with the chief’s challenge coin. Her art will remain displayed on the school resource officer’s police vehicle until after next year’s competition.
“Every student did a great job,” Tokajer said. “I really liked the way Charlee made the “o” in police as a donut, it was a great touch, and we’re happy her work will be seen by many in Holmes Beach. We hope to continue this with the fifth graders every year.”
He said he hopes to make this a yearly tradition honoring the artwork of AME students and to continue the long-time positive relationship between the community and the police department.
AME is one of only a few elementary schools in the county with a full-time police officer stationed on campus. Tokajer says while it is common to have a police presence at high schools, AME is fortunate to have the service of a full-time school resource officer. While he said most elementary and schools do have on-site security, they are generally private, often retired police officers and bonded civilian agents.
HOLMES BEACH – Each year, the International Day of Peace is observed around the world on Sept. 21, and each year, students at Anna Maria Elementary School (AME) hold a celebration of peace at the school known as Peace Day.
The International Day of Peace was established in 1981 by the United Nations General Assembly (UN). Two decades later, in 2001, the General Assembly unanimously voted to designate the day as a period of non-violence and cease-fire after the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Each year the UN designates a specific theme for the day, and this year’s theme was “End racism, build peace.”
Students spent the day putting on performances, flying international flags and enjoying presentations from guest speakers such as Rotary Club of Anna Maria Island President Jim McDaniel. During his presentation to the students, he used three different kinds of apples to explain how – just like the apples – people may look different on the outside, but are the same on the inside, regardless of race.
The Manatee High School Drum Line was also on hand to perform.
“Every grade level got up and sang a song for Peace Day,” AME principal Mike Masiello said. “Every class also did a different craft project, some did shirts, some did Peace Day plates, and they all did bulletin boards with themes like what does Peace Day mean to you. It’s a lot of fun and the kids learned a lot about diversity while having a great time.”
Masiello also said his staff and students are thrilled to be able to once again have events like Peace Day where students, parents and staff can all get together in person after two years of no activities or restricted activities due to COVID-19. He said as long as there are no drastic changes regarding COVID, all the plays and gatherings this year are back to the way they were pre-COVID.
“Racism continues to poison institutions, social structures, and everyday life in every society. It continues to be a driver of persistent inequality. And it continues to deny people their fundamental human rights,” according to UN Secretary-General António Guterres. “It destabilizes societies, undermines democracies, erodes the legitimacy of governments, and the linkages between racism and gender inequality are unmistakable.”
HOLMES BEACH – As parents waited in line to pick up their children on the last day at Anna Maria Elementary School, the graduating fifth-grade class made a lap around the school, getting a round of applause from fellow students, teachers and school staff.
The victory lap ended as every student gave Holmes Beach Police Chief Bill Tokajer a high-five while parents and staff continued to clap in support of the children who will be moving on from the little school by the bay.
“It has been an amazing school year,” said Alyson Larson, parent of fourth-grader Alba Rose Larson. “We got to participate in field day last week. Having the parents involved and back out there with the kids was super special.”
“It was great to see the kids all back together and see their parents get involved. It was just fantastic,” said David Larson, Alyson’s husband.
Fourth-grader Alba Rose Larson takes the lead in the potato sack race at AME Field Day on May 23. – Submitted
The 2021-22 school year that ended May 25 saw a return to normalcy after the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic halted the parent-teacher involvement that AME students and parents are accustomed to. This year, in-person meetings with parents and teachers returned along with plays, field trips and other activities.
“The beginning of the school year was a little tricky; we had to be flexible,” AME Principal Mike Masiello said. “It was around March when things began to feel normal and the kids seemed to be really engaged. We were able to have all of our field trips, plays and fifth-grade graduation. It ended up being a great year.”
AME kindergarteners and second-graders perform “Pajama Party” on May 17, the final school play of the 2021-22 school year. – Nick Reuter | Submitted
This was Principal Masiello’s first year at AME. At the beginning of the school year, he had no idea what COVID would bring when it came to the way his new school would operate. Fortunately, AME had one of Manatee County’s lowest COVID numbers throughout the year, with 27 student cases and two staff cases. Masiello, along with the teachers and staff at AME, hope next year will be even more “normal” than this year, allowing students and staff to foster creativity in and out of the classroom.
Lily Plummer says goodbye to AME with plenty of fanfare from her mother, Nicole, and brother, Luke, a first-grader at the school. – Jason Schaffer | Sun
“We love this school. Every single morning, we park the car and take our time walking our kids up the seashell path and get to give them a hug and a kiss,” said Kathi Reuter, who along with her husband, Nick, have two children attending AME.
“Last year we couldn’t do it; we just had to drop them off. The school plays are back again, which is awesome. It’s all just great,” Nick Reuter said.
Due to recent events in Texas, school security is on everybody’s mind, and AME has established a good relationship with the local police. Holmes Beach Police Officer Christine Labranche is fully armed on school grounds when students and teachers are present, and teachers have security badges that allow them to alert police at the touch of a button should an emergency situation arise. Students and staff are also on a first-name basis with Police Chief Bill Tokajer, who was present for fifth-grade graduation, the last day of school and many other AME events.
Principal Masiello said the security of students and staff is absolutely a top priority at AME.
“I feel pretty fortunate to be where I am,” he said.
HOLMES BEACH – For the first time since the start of the school year, Manatee County is reporting no new student COVID-19 cases and only one staff case at Ballard Elementary.
COVID in Manatee County
Oct. 29
Cases 210
% Positivity 2.57%
Deaths 161
% Eligible population vaccinated 62.9%
New hospital admissions 19
Nov. 7
Cases 155 (-26.19%)
% Positivity 2.16% (-0.21%)
Deaths 96 (-40.37%)
% Eligible population vaccinated 63.2% (+.02%)
New hospital admissions 13 (-31.58%)
Source: Centers for Disease Control
The 2021-22 school year started with none of the restrictions that had kept students and staff from close contact in 2020-21. This quickly changed when the Delta variant of COVID-19 swept the county and the debate over mask mandates and other COVID-related restrictions quickly began.
At the peak of the Delta variant during late August and early September, county schools were seeing more than 300 new cases in a single week. Cases are now at the lowest since the start of the pandemic in 2020 – zero.
The total COVID-19 cases in Manatee County schools for the year are 2,580 students and 375 staff. At Anna Maria Elementary, there have been a total of 13 student COVID cases this year, – among the lowest in the county – and no staff cases. Only AME and Jain Middle School have had no staff cases this year.
The county mask mandate has expired, and it is unlikely it will return unless COVID returns to AME and other county schools. Other school districts such as Sarasota and Hillsborough counties that had stricter mask mandates that did not include an opt-out clause like Manatee County also have allowed those mandates to expire and show no signs of bringing them back.
HOLMES BEACH – After a sharp decline in positive COVID-19 cases in Manatee County schools, the county’s school mask mandate has been allowed to expire.
As of Oct. 29, when the mandate expired, only two cases of coronavirus were reported among students in the county schools, with no cases among staff. Anna Maria Elementary School reports no current cases among students or staff, with 13 student cases and no staff cases reported since school began on Aug. 10.
As the 2021-22 school year got underway, so did the Delta variant of COVID-19, and the school district saw more positive cases than before the vaccines were available. In response, the Manatee County School Board took action and enacted the now-expired temporary mask mandate. The mandate was passed on Aug. 16, just one week after students returned to school on Aug. 10.
On Aug. 24, the board voted 3-2 to extend the mandate, which included an opt-out clause for any student who did not wish to wear a mask. The mandate differed from those in nearby Sarasota and Hillsborough counties that did not have opt-out clauses, putting them in violation of Gov. Ron DeSantis’ ban on such mandates.
The school board approved a motion that would allow the superintendent to remove the mandate if the 7-day COVID-19 positivity rate in Manatee County reached 8% or less. Otherwise, the mandate was set to expire on Oct. 29. The most recent positivity rate was 2.57%, according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC).
As cases have fallen to almost zero in Manatee County schools, it was expected that the school board would not extend the mandate, and it was not extended at the board’s Oct. 29 workshop. The issue could be brought up at the next board meeting, however.
Since the first day of school, there have been 2,576 student COVID-19 cases and 374 staff cases in the county. One month into the 2021-22 school year, there were more than 300 cases in a single week in Manatee County, and more than 1,000 cases by the end of August. Those numbers haven’t been above 75 cases per week for the past month.
Another factor that may keep things moving in the right direction is the recent approval of vaccines for children between 5 and 12 years of age. The vaccination rate is currently 62.7% of eligible county residents.
The CDC continues to recommend masks in schools and social distancing whenever possible.
HOLMES BEACH – After experiencing a fifth straight week of no COVID-positive staff or students, it’s possible things may be slowly returning to normal after a scary start to the 2021-22 school year that began just as the nation was bracing for the new Delta variant of COVID-19.
Manatee County schools saw the fewest new staff and student cases since the beginning of the school year, with six staff and 35 students testing positive for COVID-19 over the past week.
There were arguments among parents, school board members and even the highest levels of state and national government officials over how to handle masks in school and staff vaccine mandates. In Manatee County, the School Board decided not to violate Gov. Ron DeSantis’ ban on mask mandates in school. Since the county didn’t violate the mandate because its version had an opt-out clause, no state funds were withheld from the county or its elected board members.
“Would it have mattered if they made them all wear masks? Honestly don’t think so,” said Ken, a parent of a student at Anna Maria Elementary, who asked that The Sun not publish his last name. “I think things are slowing down because of the vaccines and the fact so many people have had COVID and have antibodies. This is a sign we’re headed for herd immunity.”
According to the CDC, regardless of the numbers, it is best to continue to take every possible precaution including vaccines, masks and hand-washing and sanitization.
HOLMES BEACH – Almost two months into the 2021-22 school year, Anna Maria Elementary School is now reporting three consecutive weeks with no COVID-19 cases among students or staff.
AME is also one of only two schools in Manatee County that has had no staff member test positive for the coronavirus this school year, the other being Jain Middle School. Anna Maria Elementary has reported 13 student cases this school year.
As of Friday, Oct. 1, there were seven students reporting COVID-19 positive tests in Manatee County and no staff cases. In contrast, more than 200 students were positive on Sept. 1. A total of 2,468 students and 358 staff members countywide have tested positive since the start of this school year.
While there is a mask mandate in Manatee County, it offers an opt-out clause that allows students and parents to make the choice to wear masks while in school. This opt-out clause keeps Manatee County in compliance with a Florida law that bans mask mandates without an opt-out clause.
As of Sept. 26, Sarasota County Schools dropped its mask mandate – which had no opt-out clause – due to a decline in students and staff testing positive for COVID-19. Sarasota County saw the positivity rate drop below 8%, but if it rises beyond 10%, the county’s policy calls for mandatory masks to resume.
COVID-19 procedures in Manatee County schools
All students and employees who are sick or who have symptoms will be sent home until they are symptom-free.
Temperature checks will be taken daily for all employees and randomly for students.
Reinforce and practice proper handwashing techniques among students and staff.
Provide and encourage the use of hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol.
Deep clean and disinfect schools and school buses daily, or in between uses as needed.
Make every effort to social distance as much as possible in schools.
District employees visiting schools, other than their own, must wear masks during the school day.
Provide plastic shields in elementary classrooms and cafeterias where possible.
All employees will answer COVID-related questions daily upon arriving at work.
Limit non-essential visitors and volunteers to school campuses.
Everyone eligible to be vaccinated is strongly encouraged to get vaccinated.
HOLMES BEACH – While the Delta variant of COVID-19 continues to cause cases to soar, Anna Maria Elementary has made it through the first month of school with no staff testing positive and 12 positive student cases.
Of the 52 schools in Manatee County, Anna Maria Elementary is one of only four schools that have had no staff cases. Student cases also are among the lowest in the county.
While Manatee County has a school mask mandate, students may opt out for any reason, making the “mandate” more of a request than a rule. In contrast, nearby counties including Sarasota and Hillsborough only allow students to opt out for medical reasons.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has banned mask mandates, threatening to withhold funding from districts that violate the order and require masks, but 13 Florida school districts have implemented mask mandates without a parental opt-out in defiance of the governor.
Florida’s 1st District Court of Appeal ruled on Sept. 10 to uphold the governor’s ban on mask mandates in schools.
COVID-19 procedures in Manatee County schools
All students and employees who are sick or who have symptoms will be sent home until they are symptom-free.
Temperature checks will be taken daily for all employees and randomly for students.
Reinforce and practice proper handwashing techniques among students and staff.
Provide and encourage the use of hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol.
Deep clean and disinfect schools and school buses daily, or in between uses as needed.
Make every effort to social distance as much as possible in schools.
District employees visiting schools, other than their own, must wear masks during the school day.
Provide plastic shields in elementary classrooms and cafeterias where possible.
All employees will answer COVID-related questions daily upon arriving at work.
Limit non-essential visitors and volunteers to school campuses.
Everyone eligible to be vaccinated is strongly encouraged to get vaccinated.
HOLMES BEACH – As COVID-19 cases continue to rise, the Manatee County School Board voted 3-2 on Aug. 24 to extend a temporary mask mandate it passed on Aug. 16 requiring all students and staff to wear masks on campus.
The mandate includes an opt-out clause requiring parents to fill out an online form if they do not want their child to wear a mask.
Staff members also may opt out of the mask mandate.
The school board also approved a motion that would allow the superintendent to remove the mandate if the 7-day COVID-19 positivity rate in Manatee County is 8% or less. Otherwise, the mandate expires on Oct. 29.
When the Aug. 16 meeting was held, there were fewer than 700 cases of COVID-19 in Manatee County schoolchildren and fewer than 200 cases among staff. Anna Maria Elementary had reported two student cases of COVID-19 at that time.
Since then, the numbers at Anna Maria Elementary have risen to six students since the first day of school on Aug. 10 and 1,337 students countywide. Staff COVID-19 cases are currently at 220 countywide.
While mask mandates are illegal under Florida law, some school districts have passed them despite Gov. Ron DeSantis’ warning that state funds can be withheld from those districts. Nearby districts that have passed mandates without opt-out clauses include Sarasota and Hillsborough. So far, no action has been taken by the state against the districts.
COVID-19 procedures in Manatee County schools
All students and employees who are sick or who have symptoms will be sent home
until they are symptom-free.
Temperature checks will be taken daily for all employees and randomly for students.
Reinforce and practice proper handwashing techniques among students and staff.
Provide and encourage the use of hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol.
Deep clean and disinfect schools and school buses daily, or in-between uses as
needed.
Make every effort to social distance as much as possible in schools.
District employees visiting schools, other than their own, must wear masks during the
school day.
Provide plastic shields in elementary classrooms and cafeterias where possible.
All employees will answer COVID-related questions daily upon arriving at work.
Limit non-essential visitors and volunteers to school campuses.
Everyone eligible to be vaccinated is strongly encouraged to get vaccinated.
HOLMES BEACH – Only 10 days into the 2021-22 school year and as the debate over mask mandates and mandatory staff vaccinations heats up, Anna Maria Elementary has reported two confirmed cases of students testing positive for COVID-19, according to the School District of Manatee County.
Two cases of COVID-19 were reported at AME last school year; one in November 2020 and one in February 2021.
The Manatee County School Board issued a temporary mask mandate on Monday, Aug. 16 requiring all students and staff to wear masks while on campus. The mandate expires on Aug. 25 and it is expected the board will consider extending it during its Tuesday, Aug. 24 meeting. Since the board included an opt-out clause in the mandate, any student or staff member who doesn’t want to wear a mask doesn’t have to, making it essentially meaningless.
Currently, Manatee County is reporting 682 students testing positive and 143 staff cases countywide. There were 130 new cases as of Friday, Aug. 20, the second week of school, up from 178 total staff and student cases at the end of the first week of school, a 363% increase.
Sarasota County passed a mandate without an opt-out clause on Friday, Aug. 20 during a special board meeting. Sarasota County reports 778 student COVID-19 cases since the start of the school year and 168 cases of staff members testing positive. DeSantis remarked that the mandate was illegal while speaking at Manatee Memorial Hospital in Bradenton the following day.
Recently, the Hillsborough County School Board voted to have a mandate with no opt-out clause that is in effect through Friday, Sept. 17. The mandate is illegal under state law and drew the attention of Gov. Ron DeSantis, who said, “The forced masking of schoolchildren infringes upon parents’ rights to make health and educational decisions for their own children.”
