TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Florida is set to dock salaries and withhold funding from local school districts that defied Gov. Ron DeSantis’ ban on pandemic mask mandates in classrooms, state education officials ruled Thursday.
The Florida State Board of Education approved plans to deduct an amount equal to a month’s pay from school board members in eight counties, including in some of the state’s biggest cities. It will also reduce overall funding to the counties if they receive federal grants intended to blunt the state’s fines.
The penalties would go into effect in 48 hours if the districts do not let parents opt their children out of mask mandates in the schools.
