Florida's Broward County school district reverses its mask mandate after funding threat from the governor

The Broward County school board had voted July 28 to mandate masks.

Florida's second-largest school district said it will withdraw its mask mandate after the governor threatened to withhold funding from districts that require face coverings.

South Florida's Broward County Public Schools had announced last week that the district would require everyone in their buildings to wear masks to guard against Covid-19. That came after the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued new guidance recommending everyone in K-12 schools wear a mask regardless of vaccination status.

But Friday, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis issued an executive order preventing mask mandates in schools. The order threatens to withhold state funding from schools that implement one.

"Broward County Public Schools intends to comply with the governor's latest executive order," the school district said in an online statement released this week.

"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," the statement reads. "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."

A news release from DeSantis' office said executive order 21-175 was issued "in response to several Florida school boards considering or implementing mask mandates in their schools after the Biden Administration issued unscientific and inconsistent recommendations that scho... (Read more)

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