Florida Department Of Education Withholding School Districts’ Funding Over Mask Mandates
Michael Cantrell
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New reports say the Florida Department of Education announced on Monday that it will be withholding funding from two school districts in the state due to their implementation of mask mandates.
Folks, why is this still a thing? We know that kids don’t have severe cases, usually, of the coronavirus. Many studies have also suggested that they don’t spread it around as bad as was originally thought either. Can’t we just move on from masks.
Richard Corcoran, the state’s education commissioner, said the department is withholding funding for the monthly salaries of the school board members for Alachua and Broward counties. Both school districts implemented mask mandates that did not give parents the option to opt out of them, violating a state executive order by Gov. Ron DeSantis that prevents school boards from requiring school staff and students to wear masks.
Flordia’s DOE announced in a statement that the funds would be denied “until each school board complies with state law and rules.”
Alachua County Public Schools Superintendent Carlee Simon said she was “very troubled” by the state DOE’s announcement in a Tuesday statement.
The Florida Department of Education has gone through with its threat of withholding monthly school board member salaries who violate Gov. Ron DeSantis’ ban on mask mandates, even though a judge has already ruled the ban on mandates is unconstitutional.https://t.co/I2Onxob8W3
— CBS4 Miami (@CBSMiami) August 30, 2021
“Our School Board members made a courageous decision to protect the health and lives of students, staff and the people of this community, and a court has already ruled they had the legal right to do so,” Simon stated. “They deserve praise, not penalties.”
Simon then went on to say that her district has already started to work with other districts to try taking legal action.
“We believe this is a necessary step to ensure that Florida’s districts have the right to act in the best interests of those they serve,” she continued.
“Simon was echoed by Broward County Public Schools interim Superintendent Vickie Cartwright, who said her district would comply with the imposed sanctions,” the report went on to say.
“The health and safety of our students, teachers, and staff continue to be our main priorities,” said Cartwright . “As such, BCPS will continue to mandate masks.”
Again, this really should be a non-issue for children. Let them go back to school and live normal lives.
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