Earlier this month, the Broward County school board doubled down on its mask mandate — requiring students to wear a facial covering in the classroom unless otherwise noted by a medical professional.
The board’s decision made Broward one of several large districts in the state to push back against Gov. Ron DeSantis’ rule prohibiting mask mandates in public schools. His executive order allows parents to choose for their students to not wear masks, or “opt out.”
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The Florida Board of Education voted Tuesday to punish Broward County Public Schools, and another Florida school district, for imposing the mask requirement in violation of the state rules. By Friday, state education commissioner Richard Corcoran told both school boards they had 48 hours to comply, or risk losing money equal to their board members’ salaries.
Broward interim Superintendent Vickie Cartwright has defended the district’s position by outlining the alarming COVID-19 conditions in the county, and the rising hospitalizations of children.
On Monday, Aug. 23, Cartwight will join WLRN Sundial. Have a question for her? Share it below:
