Major Florida School District Backtracks on Mask Mandate After DeSantis Order
The school district in Broward County, Florida, dropped its mask mandate following an executive order by Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis that would cut off funding to schools that required masks. “Broward County Public…

The school district in Broward County, Florida, dropped its mask mandate following an executive order by Republican Gov. Ron Desantis that would cut off funding to schools that required masks.
“Broward County Public Schools intends to comply with the Governor’s latest Executive Order,” BCPS said in a statement on Monday.
“Last week, the School Board of Broward County mandated the wearing of masks in our schools to protect our students, staff and community,” it said.
The statement included a call to “strongly encourage” masks to be worn.
“Safety remains our highest priority. The District will advocate for all eligible students and staff to receive vaccines and strongly encourage masks to be worn by everyone in schools,” BCPS said.
“The District will also work to adhere to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines, including frequent cleaning and disinfecting of our schools, physical distancing, hand washing, and staying home when sick. The District is continuing to collaborate with our local health organizations to monitor trends in the spread of COVID-19 and variants,” it concluded.
Two days after the BCPS mask mandate announcement, DeSantis signed his executive order.
“The order gave the Florida Commissioner of Education the power to withhold state funds from schools that do not comply with the new policy,” The Hill reported.


