All school districts in the Tampa Bay area are now working to pass medical marijuana policies after 10Investigates exposed most were out of compliance with state law.
In September, 10Investigates reported nine out of 10 local school districts were not following a medical marijuana law that went into effect more than two years ago.
Hernando County Public School District was the only district that had adopted a medical marijuana policy prior to 10Investigate’s original story.
Meant to help sick kids, the law requires each district school board to adopt a policy allowing students who need medical marijuana to take their medication during the school day.
In October, 10Investigates uncovered that only one in three Florida school districts had a written policy, as required by that state law.
The Florida Department of Education took action because of 10Investigates' story, notifying all school districts in the state that they must adopt compliant medical marijuana policies by the end of the year.
The agency gave school districts that were out of compliance a Dec. 1 deadline to send in drafts of the compliant policies they plan to adopt.
The Florida Department of Education tells 10Investigates the following nine school districts failed to meet that Dec. 1 deadline:
- DeSoto
- Dixie
- Franklin
- Gulf
- Hendry
- Lee
- Monroe
- St. Johns
- Washington
That means all nine Tampa Bay school districts that were out of compliance when 10Investigates’ September story aired have now submitted medical marijuana policy drafts to the state.
Florida Education Commissioner Richard Corcoran told 10Investigates in October that any districts which did not adopt compliant medical marijuana policies by the end of the year would face consequences.
“We could withhold salaries of the superintendent. We can withhold funding to the district. We can withhold and make them ineligible for grants. They risk literally – when the law says, as a school board member or a superintendent, do X, and they’re not doing it, they can risk suspension and removal from office,” said Corcoran in October.
10Investigates will follow up with the district to find out if any Florida school districts fail to meet the Dec. 31 deadline.
FREE 10NEWS APP:
