Florida Department of Education issues paychecks it withheld from school board members performing mask duties
Department of Education financial documents provided to CNN by the Orange County School Board show that the Department transferred $877,851 to eight school districts as of Nov.
The eight school districts are: Alachua County, Brevard County, Broward County, Miami-Dade, Duval County, Leon County, Orange County, and Palm Beach County.
The payments were first reported by Florida Phoenix.
The Leon and Orange County school districts confirmed they received the withholding from the Florida Department of Education but did not comment further.
Because wages were withheld, two of the school districts – Alachua County and Broward County – applied for and received grants from the U.S. Department of Education’s American Educator and Families Assistance Program Ky.
That program promises federal funds for school districts that are “financially sanctioned” by state education agencies to implement Covid-19 mitigation strategies.
At the time, Florida Department of Education spokesman Jared Ochs told CNN in a statement that the federal government “is acting illegally and it has yet to respond to the content of our previous responses. me”, referring to an October 13 letter from Florida’s commissioner of education.
Johnson told CNN: “We are pleased to have been reimbursed by the state for the withheld funding.
“We also greatly appreciate US Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona and his department for supporting our efforts to limit the spread of COVID among students and staff.”
CNN contacted the remaining five counties, the Florida Department of Education and the US Department of Education, but did not receive an immediate response.
