St. Petersburg, Fla. — All Bay area schools are back in session.
It's the first day back for Pinellas County. The other Bay area counties returned to school Tuesday.
What You Need To Know
- Students return to classes today in Pinellas County
- District welcoming back 95,000 students
- PREVIOUS STORY: Parents split after Pinellas County School Board rules masks optional
The Pinellas County School District is welcoming back 95,000 students, either in person or through virtual learning.
For those heading to the classroom today, schools will continue following safety COVID-19 protocols to help maintain a safe environment.
Masks are strongly recommended but not required for students and teachers.
And district officials said they’ll make masks available, but they’re not going to enforce whether they are being used.
It’s a polarizing topic that has some parents second-guessing their decision to send their kids back today.
“It’s a tricky situation because we want them to be able to learn,” said Parent Hajar Kativar. “Not being able to go to school is really detrimental over time, they need that human interaction. So we really are trying to balance the pros and cons.”
There’s another update for returning Pinellas students.
All students will eat free this school year, regardless of the school or grade.
A waiver from the USDA will help to cover that cost.
DIOCESE OF ST PETERSBURG ISSUES MASK RULE FOR SCHOOLS
All schools within the Diocese of St. Petersburg will require students to wear masks for now.
The Diocese sent a letter to parents, saying they based their decision on the latest COVID-19 data.
The Diocese serves Citrus, Hernando, Hillsborough, Pasco and Pinellas counties.
If the counties move below a certain new case and positivity rate, the requirement will drop.
Until then, students at schools within the Diocese will have to wear masks, unless their parent fills out an opt-out form.