Florida Governor Ron DeSantis threatened to withhold the salary of school officials who will impose face mask mandates on their school districts.

DeSantis announced the movement regarding face masks on Monday, contending that the Board of Education in Florida can refuse to give the salaries of school board members and superintendents who will not abide by his ban on facial coverings.

A spokeswoman for the Florida governor, Christina Pushaw, released a statement on Monday, Aug. 9, highlighting the "rights of parents to make decisions about their children's education and health care decision." DeSantis' office furthered that they were ensuring that "every student has access to a high-quality education that meets their [students] unique needs."

It can be recalled that the Florida governor also threatened to cut the school funding of schools that will implement face mask mandates for students.

School District Officials Clap Back on Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis' Shunning of Face Masks

As DeSantis announced his stand against face masks implemented in the academe, some of the school district officials pushed back on the threats the Florida governor issued.

On Monday, Leon County Superintendent Hanna said at a meeting that the governor has no right to put a "price tag" on someone's life as well as their salary. The superintendent furthered that they want to make sure that children have access to a "high-quality education." However, that would not be possible if their students are in the hospital and sick.

Meanwhile, Miami-Dade Superintendent Alberto Carvalho also released his sentiments regarding the Florida governor's repercussions to those districts that will impose face mask mandates.

"We have established a process that requires consultation with experts in the areas of public health and medicine," Carvalho pointed out.

The Miami-Dade superintendent furthered that they would continue the process that served them well and then make a final decision, contending that a threat to his paycheck would not sway his decisions. Carvalho ended his statement by thanking the governor for recognizing that students should not be penalized for the said face mask mandates.

Florida Parents Asks Court to Allow Face Mask Mandates

Apart from the school district officials, parents in Florida were also not happy about the governor's decision of shunning the face masks in school. It can be recalled that a group of parents from the state asked a judge to block an executive order by Governor Ron DeSantis, that bans school districts to impose face mask mandates.

The parents filed the lawsuit in Leon County, contending that the executive order issued by the Florida governor harms the safe operation of schools.

In an email, Florida Education Association President Andrew Spar noted that DeSantis should listen to the individuals responsible for students' health and well-being. Spar also urged the governor to set aside his political goals and concentrate on the safety of the students.

"He [Ron DeSantis] can do the right thing by not playing politics during this public health emergency," Spar pointed out.

At present, The Hill noted that Florida was known to be the state worst hit by the latest uptick of COVID-19 cases in the country. Citing data from John Hopkins University, the outlet noted that the state has a 12 percent positivity rate.

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Written by: Joshua Summers

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