State leaders move to punish school districts that imposed mask mandates

The state House of Representatives is gearing up to punish school districts that defied Gov. Ron DeSantis’ ban on face mask mandates for students last year.

Representatives in the pre-K-12 appropriations subcommittee proposed stripping a total of $200 million from a dozen school districts that required students to wear masks when they returned to campuses last fall. That includes Broward County, Palm Beach County, and Miami-Dade County school districts, as well as the Orange County school district in Orlando.

In a monthslong feud against the state, Broward County and other school districts maintained that mask mandates were consistent with the advice of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the American Academy of Pediatrics, and were necessary to prevent the virus and its variants from spreading through schools.

DeSantis’ executive order banning mandates was cemented in state law during a special legislative session in November. DeSantis signed HB 1B that prohibited vaccine and mask requirements in schools.

The money will come out of the salaries of about 1,600 non-teaching school employees that make over $100,000, and would be spread among the 55 school districts that didn’t impose mask mandates, based on a recommendation from state Rep. Randy Fine, R-Palm Bay.

“I think we’re very excited to stand with the overwhelming majority of school boards that share our view that parents are ultimately responsible for decisions regarding their children,” he told the South Florida Sun Sentinel on Friday. “Following Florida law is not optional.”

Fine, chair of the pre-K-12 appropriations subcommittee, introduced the budget adjustment at Thursday’s budget meeting. He called it the Putting Parents First adjustment.

He explained that the Legislature wanted to reward the 55 school districts that didn’t require students to wear masks.

Rep. Robin Bartleman, D-Weston, seemed to struggle to wrap her head around the shocking proposal. “So basically, you’re gonna deduct from their pot that money . ... I think we’re gonna agree to disagree.”

Fine said they would save the debate for the following week during the appropriations committee.

“I think we were very clear as a Legislature working with our governor that when we set policy, we expect it to be followed,” he said. “We make policy in the budget, and we want to thank those who stood with parents and followed with policy.”

South Florida’s school districts were not immediately available for comment on Friday.