MIAMI — Florida's largest school district will likely require masks when classrooms open next week.
The Miami-Dade School Board is expected to approve the rule on Wednesday, following medical experts and defying the governor's attempt to block mandatory mask rules.
Superintendent Alberto Carvalho said his mind is "pretty made up" as he thinks about how much “acceptable pain” the community can take when a child or teacher or staff member dies of COVID.
Broward County is requiring masks as school starts back up today. The district lost three teachers in the span of 24-hours last week. Broward, along with Alachua County is defying an order by Gov. Ron DeSantis banning school districts from creating mask mandates, or face losing funding.
The Florida Board of Education on Tuesday unanimously directed Commissioner Richard Corcoran to further investigate the conduct and acts of Broward and Alachua counties superintendents and to take all legal steps to enforce the established rule.
That includes the ability to withhold funding, in the form of salaries, removing positions and public records requests, but the board specified it does not want funding pulled in a way that would "harm" students.
Over the weekend, President Biden called Broward Co. Schools interim Superintendent Vickie Cartwright. In a statement, the White House says the president wanted “to thank them for their leadership and discuss their shared commitment to getting all students back in safe, full-time in-person learning this school year.”
The Biden administration is backing up the President on this position. In an open letter from Education Secretary Miguel Cardona, the administration condemned DeSantis' order, saying it contravenes public health guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Both Cardona and the President have offered up federal covid relief funds to cover any financial gaps created by penalties for mask mandates.
Gov. DeSantis says mandates violate the parents bill of rights he signed this summer. Parents say the state constitution gives schools the right to make their own mask policies. A judge has set a hearing in that case for tomorrow.
Hillsborough County schools have a mask policy, but since parents can opt-out, it doesn’t violate the governor’s order. More than 8,700 students and staff in that county are either in quarantine or isolation because of COVID-19 infections or exposures. The school board is holding an emergency meeting today about the covid situation. There is a one-hour comment period during the 1 p.m. meeting before the board votes so parents can give their input.