Since
the onset of the pandemic, Miami-Dade County Public Schools (M-DCPS) has relied
on science and data to guide its decision making regarding COVID-19 protocols. These decisions
have been informed by data from the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention (CDC) and the Florida Department of Health (FDOH), in addition to guidance
from the public health and medical experts task force.
M-DCPS
has been monitoring specific COVID-related metrics that would allow current
health and safety protocols to be relaxed. Based on current COVID-19 conditions,
effective Tuesday,
November 2, 2021, protocols will be adjusted as follows:
Parents of students in high
schools and traditional middle schools will now be able to choose whether their
children wear facial coverings through a parental opt-out provision. Parents wishing to avail
themselves of this provision will need to complete an opt-out form and return
it to their child’s school. Forms can be downloaded at https://backtoschool.dadeschools.net/
or obtained at the school. Additionally, fully vaccinated
employees in high schools and traditional middle schools, as well as non-school
sites, may choose not to wear facial coverings.
Parents
should be advised that while local conditions have improved and the District is
revising COVID-19 protocols, the CDC continues to recommend universal masking
in schools, regardless of vaccination status. M-DCPS offers COVID-19 testing,
school-required vaccines and the COVID-19 vaccine to eligible students in partnership
with the University of Miami Health System and the FDOH. For more information,
visit https://www.dadeschools.net.
M-DCPS will
continue to follow science, consult with medical experts, and review its
procedures on a weekly basis to identify opportunities for further adjustment
of COVID-19 protocols.
For the most up-to-date
information, please download the Dadeschools mobile app to your iPhone or
Android device. Follow us on Twitter @mdcps and @miamisup, on Instagram @miamischools and @miamisup, and on Facebook at MiamiSchools and AlbertoCarvalho.
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21-DGD/055/AR