Florida's Private Schools Exempt from DeSantis's Ban on Mask Mandates

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis last week signed an executive order banning mask mandates in public schools and threatened to cut funding to school districts that refuse to comply.

Private schools, however, are free to make their own decisions on masks, resulting in a push for school vouchers among concerned parents, according to Florida Today. The CDC’s most recent masking guidance “recommends universal indoor masking for all teachers, staff, students, and visitors to K-12 schools, regardless of vaccination status.”

The executive order cites “parents’ freedom to choose” in regards to masking their children, and compels the Florida Department of Health to work with the Board of Education to adopt rules that bar schools from placing mask mandates and to put procedures in place “for exempting children from immunization requirements.” If schools refuse to comply with the governor’s order, the Board of Education has the authority to withhold state funds.

Florida’s skyrocketing COVID-19 case count, driven by low vaccination rates and the super-contagious Delta variant, has created a desire among many parents of school-age children for options that would protect their kids, Florida Today reported, including mask requirements. Children ages 12 and under are not eligible for the vaccine but are still susceptible to infection.

Republican State Representative Randy Fine suggested that parents dissatisfied with the executive order utilize Florida’s voucher program to send their children to private schools with mask requirements. “I believe in choice and if a parent wants to send their child to a private institution that has a mask mandate and there’s a voucher available they should avail themselves,” Fine told worried constituents on Facebook.

Vouchers alone, however, generally do not cover the full cost of private school tuition, Florida Today noted. Parents are still responsible for extra costs such as transportation, books, uniforms, and extracurricular activities. In addition, admission is by no means guaranteed. Even private schools funded with vouchers in Florida have autonomy over admission decisions.