Clay County School Board pushes start date, requires most students wear masks

CLAY COUNTY, Fla. – The Clay County School Board voted Tuesday night in favor of pushing back the start of the school year to Aug. 25.

That means school will now begin about two weeks after it was originally scheduled. It was an idea that was favored by the School Board and Superintendent Dr. David Broskie.

Broskie told News4Jax the delay in start date will give the district more time to prepare and extra time for teachers to train, calling it a wise move.

In addition, face coverings will now be required for students in grades 3-12 and staff at all campuses and district offices when social distancing is not possible, the School Board said. Face coverings will be strongly recommended for students in prekindergarten through second grade.

When school does start, the district is considering four options for student learning during the fall semester:

• Traditional brick and mortar
• Clay Virtual Academy
• One Clay Online for grades K-12
• Blended learning (grades 7-12)

Here is a summary of the changes provided by the School Board: