March “Dyer Difference” Award

Will school board comply with DeSantis’ order on prohibiting mask mandates?

What happens if elected bodies like the Indian River County School Board don’t comply with Gov. Ron DeSantis’ executive order prohibiting them from passing mask mandates or restrictions on the unvaccinated? As already has happened elsewhere in Florida, that could become more than a hypothetical question here. Because according to School Superintendent David Moore’s “eyeball estimates” as he toured the county’s public schools last week, a significant number of the district’s students weren’t wearing masks when indoors. “I’d say 80 percent of students at the elementary schools were masked,” Moore said. “The number dropped to about 70 percent at the middle schools and 50 to 60 percent at the high schools.” He said he didn’t know how many of the ...

No plan for facemasks in schools despite 600-percent increase in COVID-19 cases here

The month-long spike in COVID-19 cases in Indian River County apparently has been too mild for state or county education officials to consider requiring face masks and/or vaccinations for the school year that starts August 10. Students and employees can exercise the option of wearing a face mask to guard against the virus, as well as being vaccinated against COVID-19, School Board Chairman Brian Barefoot said Friday. But they won’t be mandated, barring a directive from a higher governmental authority, Barefoot said. The School District has to follow the rules set by Gov. Ron DeSantis, the Florida Board of Education and state Department of Health, as well as the guidance provided by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, ...

School Board asking state legislature for COVID-19 mulligans on funding, test scores

Indian River County public school officials plan to ask the state legislature to ease funding and test score regulations to ameliorate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. School districts should be able to use up to half of their annual capital funding for operating expenses, particularly COVID-19 needs, technology and school operations, Schools Superintendent David Moore said in a summary of legislative priorities. The school district’s capital budget is $50 million for the 2020-2021 school year. If the legislature acts as Moore hopes, district officials would have greater flexibility in spending $25 million now allocated to buildings and equipment. Major expenditures in the capital budget include $1.4 million for a new roof at Gifford Middle School, $1.4 million to paint ...