TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) – Florida lawmakers are considering a plan that would take millions away from schools that implemented mask mandates and defied the governor’s executive order that prevented schools from requiring them.
Under the plan, $200 million would be diverted from 12 districts and given to the others that followed the law. The Florida House passed the budget bill late Wednesday night.
The plan is being called the “Putting Parents First” proposal. Republican State Representative Randy Fine is behind the maneuver.
“It rewards 55 school districts that followed the law and holds the other 12 school districts accountable,” said Rep. Fine.
The 12 districts include Alachua, Brevard, Broward, Duval, Hillsborough, Indian River, Leon, Miami-Dade, Orange, Palm Beach, Sarasota, and Volusia counties.
Hillsborough County Schools would miss out on $14 million. Sarasota County schools would lose about $12 million.
Representative Fine said Gov. Ron DeSantis is on board with the plan as long as it takes the money from district administrators making more than $100,000 a year, and not from any student-facing programs.
“Any legislative body that takes away funding from students and resources from the classroom we have to question,” Hillsborough County Superintendent Addison Davis said.
Davis criticized the plan Wednesday and said the move would have a big impact on positions critical to the district.
Addison said the district can not afford to lose any money.
“When $14 million dollars is taken out of your budget, that impacts everything in this organization. We don’t have a dollar to give away,” Davis said.
Parents from the group SPEAK UP also rallied against the proposal on Wednesday. Damaris Allen, whose son is a junior in Hillsborough County Schools, said she worried a plan like this will ultimately impact students.
“When we take money away from students, we take programs that enrich their education,” said Allen during a virtual news conference.
“Now is not the time to be taking any funding away from our schools,” another parent added.