Florida gives two school districts 48 hours to comply with mask rule or lose funding

Florida is escalating its war against school districts that require masks in defiance of Gov. Ron DeSantis’s (R) directive against them.

The Florida Board of Education is ordering Alachua and Broward County school districts to comply with an order allowing parents to opt out of local mask mandates, with state officials giving the districts 48 hours to comply before they move to withhold funding.

The state is requesting a list of the annual salaries of all school board members in the counties, and the BOE will then begin withholding 1/12th of that amount each month from the district’s funds, as an initial step.

Both Alachua and Broward have instituted mask requirements for all students and staff, regardless of vaccination status, in defiance of Gov. Ron DeSantis (R), whose “Bill of Rights” order has effectively prevented schools from requiring masks.

The state requires public schools to allow for a parent or legal guardian of the student to opt-out of any mask requirements without any reason. Alachua and Broward require doctors’ notes.

The state: “It is important to remember that this issue is about ensuring local school board members, elected politicians, follow the law,” Commissioner of Education Richard Corcoran said in a statement. “These are the initial consequences to their intentional refusal to follow state law and state rule to purposefully and willingly violate the rights of parents. This is simply unacceptable behavior.”

Federal support for schools: The White House on Friday said Education Secretary Miguel Cardona has spoken with officials in Broward and Alachua counties, telling them to hold the line, and assuring them that any financial penalties imposed by the state can be addressed using federal funds.