Florida Education Department Sanctions Eight School Districts

Board of Education Takes Action on Mask Mandates

Impacts Over 28 Million Students and 28 Colleges

The Florida Board of Education voted unanimously Thursday to sanction eight school districts that defied Governor Ron DeSantis' ban on mask mandates in schools.

The sanctions include withholding state funding for the eight districts, which serve nearly 28 million students and 28 colleges. The districts are Alachua, Broward, Duval, Hillsborough, Leon, Miami-Dade, Orange, and Palm Beach counties.

The State Board of Education, which oversees the public education system in Florida, said the districts had violated state law by implementing mask mandates without the approval of the governor or the state legislature.