Brevard County

Clock is ticking for Brevard Public Schools after state issues reprimand over mask mandate

BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. — The clock is ticking for Brevard Public Schools after it received a letter from the state reprimanding them for its student mask mandate.

The district now has 48 hours to respond.

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As it stands, the district has two choices: Either keep the mandate and be forced to pay hefty fines or create an opt-out choice that makes masks optional, depending on parental choice.

School district leaders said they still need more time to decide.

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“It wasn’t about salary, and I believe you guys feel the same way, but we have to decide how we’re going to deal with those consequences come down,” said District 5 Chair Katye Campbell.

Federal grant money approved by the Biden administration would even things out, but the state approved a decision to fine the district further.

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“That decision does impact all of us, so I think once we read that letter it needs to become a board decision as we are allowed as we decide what we’re going to do and the consequences,” Campbell added.

Another factor in its decision are cases in schools. At last check, there were 83 cases per 100,000 students. The district will need to get down to 50 to drop the student mask mandate.

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State Commissioner Richard Corcoran asked the State Board of Education for approval on this move last Thursday.

Brevard is one of ten school districts he named in the request.

Channel 9will be checking today whether Orange County, which was also named, has already received its letter.

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