UPDATE: ACPS stands pat as State Dept. of Education orders Alachua, Broward County School districts to drop mask mandate or lose funding

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TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WCJB) - The State Department of Education issued an order to the Alachua and Broward County School districts demanding they back down from their mask mandates, but Alachua County Public Schools have no plans to do so.

The order threatens to withhold state funds on a monthly basis equal to 1/12 of the total annual pay for school board members.

The State Education Board also quote “retains the right and duty to impose additional sanctions.”

The order also prohibits the school districts from shuffling money from elsewhere in their budgets to make up for the cuts to school board member pay.

Jackie Johnson, ACPS Director of Communications and Community Initiatives, tells TV20 the district will not comply with the order. Her email to TV20: “Alachua County Public Schools will respond to the order from the Florida Department of Education. The district has no plans to change its current masking requirement.”

Prior to this order from FDOE, the Biden administration indicated they were looking to give federal aid to school districts that had funding cut due to mask mandates.

Each order can be found at the links below.

Order to Alachua County School District: https://www.fldoe.org/core/fileparse.php/20001/urlt/Alachua5.pdf

Order to Broward County School District: https://www.fldoe.org/core/fileparse.php/20001/urlt/Broward4.pdf