Flouting White House, Florida penalizes school districts

By ANTHONY IZAGUIRRE
Associated Press

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — The state of Florida has withheld funding from two school districts over their coronavirus mask mandates, flouting threats from White House officials who warned that such penalties would violate federal law. School officials in Alachua and Broward counties on Wednesday said the state docked school board salaries and overall funding in amounts equal to federal aid packages meant to blunt the state’s sanctions on mask requirements. The penalties are the latest development in an ongoing feud between the White House and Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis’ administration over coronavirus regulations. DeSantis is one of several GOP governors who have moved to ban mask mandates.