PEMBROKE PARK, Fla. – The masks are on, but the gloves are off as the Broward County School District has defied state rules on mandatory masking.
The mask mandate will be in place when classes start on Wednesday, risking threats of financial sanctions from state officials.
The school board chair and superintendent formally notified the Florida Department of Education in a letter on Friday.
The district points to record hospital admissions, including a rising number of pediatric cases, plus the deaths of three Broward teachers from COVID-19.
It’s a standoff being watched around the country, with the president on the phone Friday night.
Broward’s new superintendent Dr. Vickie Cartwright received the president’s call of support.
She joined This Week in South Florida, along with school board chair Dr. Rosalind Osgood, who drew the line in the sand. Their conversation with TWISF hosts Michael Putney and Glenna Milberg can be seen at the top of this page.