Masks will be optional in Pasco County schools after this school year, the district announced Monday.
Starting at the end of the day on May 28, which is the last day for teachers, face coverings will be optional.
The “mask optional” change will affect high school graduations that occur after May 28. The district says it will encourage graduates and their guests to bring a mask, as it is likely that crowds will gather at concession stands prior to the ceremony. All but one of the graduations held after May 28 will be held outdoors in stadiums.
The “masks optional” approach also will affect the Extended School Year (summer school), which starts Monday, June 7.
"Though it is impossible to predict what course the pandemic will take in the coming months, Pasco County Schools is fully expecting the “masks optional” approach to carry over into the 2021-2022 school year," the district said in a statement.
