Florida strips schools of federal aid for mask mandates

[left-of-center2012]

The Florida Department of Education (DOE) this week withheld hundreds of thousands of dollars in federal funding from two school districts because of their masking policies, defying warnings from the Biden administration.

Alachua County officials in a statement said the state stripped more than $160,000 this week as punishment for the school district requiring masks.
Separately, Broward County said the state withheld more than $450,000, which the county said encompasses the monthly school board salary as well as the full amount of federal grant funding. Since August, the county said Florida has withheld nearly $530,000 in funding.

The announcements come just one day after the Biden administration warned the state that such a move would violate federal law ... In a letter sent earlier this week,
the DOE warned the state that it was in violation of federal law. The agency said it expects Florida "to comply with all requirements applicable to its federal grant awards.

If FLDOE moves forward with its planned reduction of state aid to Alachua and Broward, the Department is prepared to initiate enforcement action to stop these impermissible state actions."

https://thehill.com/homenews/state-watch/578820-florida-strips-schools-of-federal-aid-for-mask-mandates

[Bev54]

1. Time for the DOJ to shut DeSantis and his merry band down.

[Nittersing]

2. Well, this should provide fodder for a few news cycles. From the article:

"In a letter sent earlier this week, the DOE warned the state that it was in violation of federal law.

In the letter, the agency said it expects Florida "to comply with all requirements applicable to its federal grant awards. If FLDOE moves forward with its planned reduction of state aid to Alachua and Broward, the Department is prepared to initiate enforcement action to stop these impermissible state actions."