The Florida Board of Education passed a rule Friday allowing parents in the state to skirt mask mandates that districts may enforce for their children.
According to the rule, these students would qualify for a Hope Scholarship, an existing program created to protect children who are bullied, assaulted, harassed or threatened in school.
The Florida Department of Health also announced a rule on Friday requiring school districts to allow parents to opt their children out of mask mandates.Families protest any potential mask mandates before the Hillsborough County Schools Board meeting held at the district office in Tampa, Fla., July 27, 2021., which directed the state departments of education and health to enact measures to protect"parents' rights ... to make health care decisions for their minor children.
Multiple districts this week defied the governor's order by issuing mask mandates for their students, including northern Florida's Alachua County, where schools have experienced a surge of COVID-19 cases among staff, including two recent deaths.
South Florida's Broward County Public Schools, the other district to require masks for students, had not released updated guidance by Friday evening. The district said Wednesday that it was"awaiting further guidance" before updating its policy.The debate around mask requirements comes as the delta variant of the coronavirus wreaks havoc in Florida.
On Thursday, the Florida Hospital Association reported 12,500 patients were hospitalized with COVID-19, marking a new pandemic high. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the state is now reporting over 17,000 new cases per day. About 1 in 5 COVID casesEditor's note: Story updated to correct spelling of Leanetta McNealy's name.
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