coronavirus and school

Florida's largest public school union is decrying the state's new ruling that students who are exposed to COVID-19 can stay in school unless they develop symptoms. But some schools might be tempted to bend the rule.

A recent analysis by the Kaiser Family Foundation revealed the pandemic has widened existing disparities in health and wellbeing as well as in academic performance between children of color and white children.

The Alachua County School District has received $148,000 from the Biden administration to make up for pay cuts.

State officials announced they would accept federal money to help low-income families get food for their children. Many people in the region, including Feeding Tampa Bay say there's a real need for help.

The Florida Department of Health issued a revised rule that gives parents more authority to decide whether children go to school after being exposed to people who have COVID-19, and says opting out of mask requirements is “at the parent or legal guardian’s sole discretion.”

He estimates the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine may be available for children by November or December.

In their lawsuit, parents of disabled children contended that the executive order violated the Americans with Disabilities Act and other laws designed to protect the rights of students with disabilities.

The ruling allows the state to once again impose financial penalties on school boards currently defying the mask mandate ban.

The Hillsborough County School District says the mandate has resulted in a 58% decrease in coronavirus cases since they reached their peak last month.

Those who died include teachers, bus drivers, a security worker and a cafeteria manager. "It is a bruising statistic that we need to absolutely internalize," said Superintendent Alberto M. Carvalho.

The medical director of the pediatric ICU at the Jacksonville hospital said that along with the COVID surge in kids there’s been a rise in the number of children with multisystem inflammatory syndrome.

Attorneys for parents who challenged the executive order filed a motion requesting that the judge issue an order vacating the automatic stay. If the request is granted, that could keep his ruling in effect during the appeal.