Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has escalated his opposition to mask mandates in schools, threatening to withhold pay from school officials who attempt to enforce them. As COVID-19 cases rise sharply, particularly among children, DeSantis remains steadfast in defending his executive order issued last month that prohibits school authorities from mandating masks for students. Recently, he announced that salaries of superintendents and school board members could be at risk if they implement such requirements in their districts.
Numerous lawsuits challenge DeSantis’s order, and several Florida school districts are considering mask mandates given the alarming surge in cases. Florida currently holds the highest COVID-19 rates in the nation, with a significant number of pediatric hospitalizations. The positivity rates for the virus are particularly high among children, standing at 20.5% for those under 12 and 24.3% for those aged 12 to 19. As students prepare to return to school next week, the urgency of the situation is palpable.
A spokesperson from the governor’s office indicated that the state board of education might act to withhold the salaries of district superintendents or school board members who defy the mask mandate ban. DeSantis’s spokesperson stated, “Ultimately — Education funding is for the students. The kids didn’t make the decision to encroach upon parents’ rights. So any financial penalties for breaking the rule would be targeted to those officials who made that decision.”
DeSantis has asserted that parents should be the ones making decisions regarding masks in schools. In a recent event, he said, “I think the fairest thing to do is just say let parents make the decisions.”
In response, some school districts are pushing back against the governor’s stance. For instance, Rocky Taylor, the superintendent of Leon County Schools, reached out to the governor’s office seeking guidance but received no reply. Consequently, he chose to implement a temporary mask mandate at the start of the school year. “You can’t put a price tag on someone’s life, including my salary,” Taylor stated during a meeting. He expressed his concerns about the potential consequences of reopening schools without protective measures, saying, “if something happened and things went sideways for us this week and next week because we started school and, heaven forbid, we lost a child to this virus, I can’t just simply blame the governor of the state of Florida.”
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In summary, Florida’s Governor Ron DeSantis remains resolute in his opposition to mask mandates in schools, threatening financial repercussions for officials who defy his orders amid a rising tide of COVID-19 cases. Some school districts are challenging this stance, prioritizing student safety as they navigate the complexities of reopening in a pandemic.
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