Florida students citing COVID-19 harassment can qualify for private school vouchers
(The Center Square) – Florida K-12 children in districts that impose mask mandates can receive a state-backed voucher for bullied students to transfer to private schools under a “COVID-19 harassment” emergency rule adopted unanimously by the Florida Board of Education (BOE) Friday.
Under the rule, parents can apply for a Hope Scholarship for their children if they disagree with district mask requirements, separating or isolating students or providing COVID-19 testing requirements or other protocols that “pose a health or educational danger” and lead to learning loss.
BOE Chair Tom Grady said the rule complies with Gov. Ron DeSantis’ insistence that parents be the ultimate arbiters of what is good for their children.
“You can’t have more local control than control by a parent,” Grady said.
Prior to the meeting, DeSantis said the rule makes more sense than the universal school masking recommendation by the federal Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC).
“What are the harmful effects of putting a kindergartener in a mask for seven hours? Have they talked about the emotional, the academic, the physiological? Why isn’t CDC studying that?” the governor asked. “They’ve had a lot of time to do it. To act like somehow this isn’t something we shouldn’t worry about, I don’t think is acceptable. So, I think the fairest thing to do is to just say, ‘Let parents make the decision.'”
Last Friday, DeSantis issued an executive order allowing parents to ignore mask mandates imposed by school districts and withholding money from districts that violate the order.
The order also required the state Department of Education (DOE) to develop alternate strategies for parents with students in districts that mandate mask-wearing. The DOE submitted those emergency guidelines to the BOE Friday, encoding “COVID-19 harassment” as a form of bullying that qualifies students for Hope Scholarships.
Established in 2018 at then-House Speaker and current state Education Commissioner Richard Corcoran’s urging, the Hope Scholarship is among the smallest of the five Florida school choice voucher programs, which paid for nearly 190,000 Florida K-12 students to attend more than 1,800 private schools during the 2020-21 school year.
Hope Scholarships are funded by donors who receive a tax credit up to $105 on motor vehicle purchase taxes. There were 436 students enrolled in its first year and 393 students enrolled last year, according to the DOE.
The emergency rule defines “COVID-19 harassment” as “any threatening, discriminatory, insulting, or dehumanizing verbal, written or physical conduct an individual student suffers in relation to, or as a result of, school district protocols for COVID-19, including masking requirements, the separation or isolation of students, or COVID-19 testing requirements, that have the effect of substantially interfering with a student’s educational performance.”
At least four school districts have adopted or are considering approving protocols for the upcoming school year that include requiring masks be worn indoors by all students, faculty and staff.
School boards and local governments across the state are trying to respond to a dramatic month-long surge in COVID-19 cases across the state.
The number of COVID-19 patients hospitalized in Florida rose from 12,516 Thursday to 12,864 Friday, according to the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, with 2,680 consuming 42% of the state’s ICU beds – double two weeks ago.
Grady said the BOE’s only consideration – its “single filter” – is what is best for Florida students. Giving parents control of their children’s health in a pandemic meets that criteria, he said.
“At times it may appear to be in conflict with what’s best for other groups,” Grady said, “but we focus on what’s best for the kids and the students and the system for which we’re responsible.”
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