mask mandates

At least one Charlotte County Public Schools student has died from COVID-19. Charlotte County School Chair Wendy Atkinson told WINK News a student died due to COVID-19 complications. The date of death and the school where the student attended were not released by the Florida Department of Health-Charlotte County or by the school district. Florida […]

On Monday, The School District of Lee County announced it would be mandating masks across the district without an opt-out option. Now, parents in Collier County are wondering, some even hoping, if based on the district’s COVID-19 dashboard figures the same will happen there. Every number on the dashboard represents someone who has contracted coronavirus. For […]

The Education Department announced Monday that it’s investigating five Republican–led states that have banned mask requirements in schools, saying the policies could amount to discrimination against students with disabilities or health conditions. The department’s Office for Civil Rights sent letters to education chiefs in Iowa, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Utah. Those states have barred […]

Schools could be one step closer to enforcing pandemic restrictions after a judge blocked Gov. Ron DeSantis’ no-mask mandate. The decision could make a difference in Southwest Florida for districts reluctant to enforce a mandate over fears of repercussions from DeSantis. The Lee County School Board plans to review its masking policies on Monday. Collier […]

As students head back to school in Collier County Tuesday morning, it can be a confusing time before everyone gets the hang of things and back into a routine. Fortunately, several technological tools are available to help keep things in order. The Collier schools app is a free download from the app store that parents […]

The governor’s message was clear: No mask mandates or lockdowns to control the rising COVID-19 cases. But doctors continue to warn those who can’t – or won’t – get vaccinated that masks are their only defense. Now, some businesses and schools are standing up against Gov. Ron DeSantis’ message, which brought about mixed reactions. Some […]

Florida’s Board of Education decided Friday to provide private school vouchers to parents who say a public school district’s mask-wearing requirements amount to harassment of their children. The move to take private tuition costs from public school funding created yet another flashpoint in the fight between local school boards and Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis over […]

An executive order from the governor says public schools can’t mandate masks, but what about private schools? They aren’t part of that order, so they make their own rules, and Thursday, the Diocese of Venice did just that. It mandated masks indoors temporarily in all Catholic schools in counties with a high positivity rate, which […]

Gov. Ron DeSantis is doubling down on his ban on mask mandates as he fires back at President Joe Biden. “If you’re trying to deny kids a proper in-person education, I’m going to stand in your way and I’m going to stand up for the kids in Florida,” DeSantis said during a Wednesday press conference. […]

Despite a ban by Gov. Ron DeSantis, two Florida school districts have decided to require masks when children return to classrooms because of dramatic rises in coronavirus infections, with the state leading the country in hospitalizations. School boards in Duval County, home to Jacksonville, and Alachua County, home to Gainesville, made the decision based on […]