Florida students could soon use state-backed vouchers to transfer to private schools if they object to wearing masks in classrooms, as Gov. Ron DeSantis and state education officials argue that decisions about masks should be left up to parents during the Covid-19 pandemic.
The State Board of Education is set to hold a conference call Friday, in part to consider an emergency rule that would expand the state’s Hope Scholarship voucher program to allow students who don’t want to wear masks to transfer to private schools. The Hope Scholarship program was originally intended to offer vouchers to students who have been the victims of such things as bullying.
The meeting is part of a rule-making process triggered by a DeSantis executive order designed to prevent school districts from requiring that students wear masks. DeSantis has argued that parents should have the right to decide whether their children wear masks.
A notice of the meeting posted in Thursday’s Florida Administrative Register said the board will weigh whether to change the Hope Scholarship program to provide parents “with a mechanism to transfer a child to a private school or another school district under a Hope Scholarship when a school district’s COVID-19 health protocols, including masking, pose a health or educational danger to their child.”
The Hope Scholarship was established in 2018 and was championed by then-House Speaker Richard Corcoran, a Republican who now serves as education commissioner. It has been under-utilized since its launch, serving 388 students during the 2019-2020 school year, according to a Florida House analysis published in February.
Step Up for Students, a nonprofit organization that helps administer Hope Scholarship vouchers, said Thursday that it was not involved in the proposed rule.
“This is a proposal from the Board of Education, not something Step Up For Students has proposed, but as always we will faithfully carry out state directives,” Scott Kent, the organization’s assistant director of strategic communications, told The News Service of Florida in an email.
DeSantis’ executive order, issued last week, threatened funding for school districts that impose mask mandates. But some districts are nevertheless moving ahead with efforts to require masks for students in some or all grade levels with the academic year set to begin next week.
During a press event last week in Cape Coral, DeSantis was asked if “harm” to students from mask-wearing would qualify them to receive vouchers through the Hope Scholarship program.
The governor said he would “have to look at that” and took the opportunity to again attack forced masking policies.
“One of the things that’s so frustrating about this whole experience is, some of the people that are advocating for mitigation measures and mandates and stuff, they never acknowledge the harms of what comes with that,” DeSantis said at the media event.
Heading into the 2021 legislative session, Sen. Joe Gruters, R-Sarasota, floated a similar idea of creating a voucher program specifically aimed at letting parents escape school mask mandates. But Gruters, who is also chairman of the state Republican Party, ultimately did not file a bill that would’ve created the “Face Freedom Scholarship.”
Democrats have bashed DeSantis’ efforts to prevent school districts from requiring masks as the state grapples with a spike in COVID-19 cases caused by the highly transmissible delta variant of the coronavirus. State Rep. Anna Eskamani, D-Orlando, criticized the voucher proposal Thursday.
“The distance this state will go to not only defund public education but to fulfill a politically motivated agenda about masks. If they moved this fast on homelessness imagine where we would be right now,” Eskamani said in a tweet.
The state board on Friday also will consider another emergency rule dealing with procedures for when students must quarantine because of COVID-19 diagnoses.
Titled “Pupil Attendance Records,” the proposed rule is intended to “provide criteria to avoid learning loss and consider a student in attendance, when under a ‘stay-home’ directive due to COVID-19.”
–Ryan Dailey, News Service of Florida
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Merrill Shapiro says
Great! Then we the taxpayers can pay for them to attend private, mostly religious schools and learn that slavery was a good thing, bringing pagan Africans to these shores to be baptised. Or that Jews are satanic (Gospel of John Chapter 8) or that Mormons are not Christians. Or that the world is 6000 years old.
Merrill Shapiro says
This will enable all of Florida’s taxpayers to fund educational programs that teach that slavery was a good thing, bringing pagan Africans to these shores to be Baptized in the name of Jesus. We’ll be funding educational programs that teach that the universe is 6000 years old. We’ll be teaching that LGBTQ+ people are aberrant mistakes and that Jews are satanic (See the Gospel of John, Chapter Eight).
Mark says
If this doesn’t clear it up for all of you, Trumps goal when appointing Devos was to drive down the public school system while making private for profit schools more popular. Now this, we will use our tax dollars do pay for those private schools. Our education system is up for sale and under attack.
JPK says
DeathSantis says “One of the things that’s so frustrating about this whole experience is, some of the people that are advocating for mitigation measures and mandates and stuff, they never acknowledge the harms of what comes with that.”
My Wife was an Operating Room RN for almost 35 years, and wore a surgical mask while working – no harm to her.
Is it too much to ask DeathSantis to think before he opens his unmasked mouth? Apparently it is.
David S. says
It’s obvious that the idiot could give a shit about any of us. I am so sick and tired of his tRUMP mentality it makes me sick. Please everyone remember all of this at election time. PS; I also worked in the OR and had to wear gloves and a mask for 10 hrs per day enjoyed it…….
Carol says
What about us parents who want to send our kids to a school that requires masks but our district won’t? The district not mandating masks poses a risk to my child as well.
Sheila Zinkerman says
Mask mandates are constitutional; “A Trump judge on the district court said that public universities can mandate vaccinations. Respected Reagan appointee Easterbrook and two other Trump judges said that schools can mandate vaccinations.” Elie Mystal, The Nation.
The article also mentions mandating masks. DeSantis using public money for voucher schemes to protect individuals who are unwilling to mask up to help stop COVID mutations is beyond the pale. Why not reward and protect public schools with public money that institute mask mandates so public school children protect one another and help stop COVID mutations. The children and their parents will also fulfill their roles as good citizens. Parents who choose not to mask their children can enroll them in private school – but not on taxpayer’s dime! DeSantis needs a Time Out.
https://www.thenation.com/article/society/vaccine-mandate-legal/
Concerned Citizen says
Complete BS.
I wear a mask because it’s the right thing to do. I do it to protect my wife who is a health care worker. And on the front lines. A mask is also required for me to stay employed.
Why should I incur additional expenses because a child thinks they know better. And doesn’t want to wear a simple face cloth.
Folks it’s a simple face covering. Your being asked to temporarily wear it to help curb a deadly virus. Your percieved political freedoms are not being violated. And your percieved freedoms aren’t greater than someones right to live. Wear the mask and stop crying about it.
I’m ready for my family to return to some sort of normalcy. And not see my wife on the verge of exhaustion after taking care of Covid patients 18 hours a day.
For those who feel I’m wrong and want to take a shot bring it.