The two school districts in Florida that defied state rules and imposed mask mandates have now been given 48 hours to reverse it or else they will lose funding equal to the salaries of their school board members, ABC News reported.
On August 20, Friday, the State Board of Education sent an order to the districts in Alachua and Broward counties.
The board said that if they do not reverse their mandates in 48 hours, the districts will have to provide Commissioner of Education Richard Corcoran the current salaries of each school board member, ABC News reported.
Alachua and Broward’s counties are the first of five districts in Florida to impose mask requirements this month.
According to the Florida Department of Education’s statement, it will start gradually withholding state funds that are equal to 1/12 of the salaries of the board members, monthly “until each district demonstrates compliance.”
The order prevents the school districts from letting the reduction of funds “impact student services or teacher pay” and requires them to report any instance in which they enforce their “unlawful” mask mandate.
The crackdown came following weeks of threats from Governor Ron DeSantis’ office and the education department.
On Tuesday this week, an emergency meeting of the state board commences in which the chair, Tom Grady, suggested that the sanctions against Alachua and Broward could include removing school officials from their elected posts.
Meanwhile, leaders in both Alachua and Broward school districts told ABC News that they will not reverse their mask mandates and will take legal action against the state.
“It’s not legal what the governor is doing,” said Dr Rosalind Osgood, chair of the Broward County School Board. “We think he has overstepped his purview.”
Dr Carlee Simon, superintendent of Alachua County Public Schools, said in a statement that “based on the dramatic spike in cases and quarantines in our schools and community, we believe universal masking is absolutely critical to keeping schools open, protecting the health of our students and staff, and limiting the current strain on our local health care system”.point 436 | 1
Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona said on Friday that he also supported both districts, adding that President Joe Biden and his administration “stand with them and with all educators who put student and staff health and education first.”