JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The Florida Board of Education has approved a proposal by Gov. DeSantis that will allow parents of students who don't agree with certain COVID-19 protocols at their assigned school to transfer.
Parents now have the option to transfer their children to another public school, or get taxpayer-funded seats in a private school where they wouldn’t have to wear face coverings though Hope Scholarship vouchers.
The Hope Scholarships are typically reserved for students who are victims of assault or bullying.
DeSantis says the move will give parents control over whether their kids wear masks, which is in line with last week's executive order threatening to pull funding from schools that require them.
DeSantis also reiterated his opposition to school mask mandates during an event in Tampa Thursday.
“It's parents' choice in Florida, and government can't override parents. We obviously have an executive order to that effect," he explained. "And now, the board of education is gonna meet and they've got a couple proposed rules that'll outline some of the things that'll happen.”