Florida Board of Education Approves Sanctions Against Eight School Districts Over Coronavirus Warrants

The Florida Board of Education voted unanimously on Thursday to sanction eight school districts with mask mandates that do not allow parents to opt out.

The eight districts – Alachua, Brevard, Broward, Duval, Leon, Miami-Dade, Orange and Palm Beach – could potentially face funding cuts if they do not show they have complied with the government’s order. state, the Tampa Bay Times reported.

Superintendents from the eight school districts were allowed to express their position on Thursday. According to the newspaper, the head of the school district spoke out in favor of their mask warrants, highlighting the drastic increase in COVID-19 cases they have observed.

Duval Superintendent Diana Greene said her school district reported nearly 500 cases of COVID-19 within eight days of the start of the school year. She added that 10 employees died in the first two weeks of the school year.

“Within a week, we were already at 19% of the total number of reported cases for the entire 2020-21 school year,” Greene said.

“The Florida Department of Health’s inability to conduct timely case investigations has had a direct impact on the spread of the virus in our schools, ultimately putting the health and safety of students and employees at risk,” said added Greene.

Leon County Superintendent Rocky Hanna has offered to forgo his own salary if his district is penalized for his mask tenure, The Times reported.

Many Florida school districts have found themselves directly at odds with the Florida state government with the year, as school officials defy the Florida government. Ron DeSantisRon DeSantisDepartment of Education: Florida Misses $ 0.3 Billion Federal Aid Deadline Jason Aldean says Californians “should be outraged” by the school vaccine mandate.‘(R) decree prohibiting the mask warrant. DeSantis’ ban on mask warrants has been argued over back and forth in the courts, with judges ruling against and reinstating the measure.

These neighborhoods have found an ally in President BidenJoe BidenBiden and Xi Jinping will hold a virtual summit by the end of this year., with his administration financially reimbursing districts that were penalized for violating DeSantis’s order.

In September, the Department of Education provided nearly $ 148,000 in funding to the Alachua County School Board.

“We should thank the districts for using proven strategies that will keep schools open and safe, without punishing them,” said the education secretary. Miguel CardonaMiguel CardonaWatch live: Education, HHS secretaries testify to the reopening of schools said in a statement at the time. “We stand alongside the dedicated educators in Alachua and across the country who are doing what it takes to protect their school communities. “