No Mask Mandate in Florida Schools Reopening Plan

TALLAHASSEE -- State and local education officials are continuing to hash out the details of reopening Florida's schools. Governor DeSantis' plan calls for schools to fully reopen in August.

Officials from the DeSantis administration make it clear there's no mandate for students to wear masks.

"We know that there are going to be some Floridians because of other health challenges that simply can't wear a mask," says J. Alex Kelly, the Department of Education's chief of staff.

For local school districts, the issue often comes down to cost. Hillsborough school superintendent Addison Davis says outfitting the 220,000 students in his system with masks would cost $9,000,000 a month.

Davis says he does plan to supply masks to staff and point parents to sources that will supply low-cost masks.

Davis plans to outline his plans for reopening his district to the Hillsborough School Board this coming Tuesday (23).

Davis and Kelly spoke at a forum on school reopening, sponsored by the Tallahassee lobbying firm Gray-Robinson.

Photo: Getty Images


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