FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. _ Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and his education chief gave little assurance Wednesday that school districts will keep their state funding if they refuse to offer in-person instruction this fall.
Instead, DeSantis and Education Commissioner Richard Corcoran said they have full confidence that all school districts in the state will offer parents a choice of face-to-face instruction this fall _ something South Florida school districts say they're not doing right away.
At a roundtable discussion at the Paul B. Stephens School in Clearwater, DeSantis was asked twice if school districts would lose state money if they go virtual only. He didn't directly answer the question.
He and Corcoran said in normal times districts would lose funding for going virtual. They cited a state law that requires students be in school for 900 hours _ the equivalent of 180 days _ per year.
But they said an emergency order issued by Corcoran this month gives districts the flexibility to offer virtual education to parents who want it. The order also instructs districts to offer in-person instruction, subject to health conditions permitting it. South Florida districts say a surge in COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations and deaths over the last month make it too dangerous to open right now.
"Had there not been an emergency order they would be much more likely to lose funding, because if you didn't meet the statutory requirements, that would happen automatically," DeSantis said.
DeSantis said districts have the flexibility to open a few weeks late if they need to, but the expectation is that in-person education is offered for parents who want it.
"I'm confident there's going to be in-person throughout the state. The flexibility of the timing we're going to leave that to the school district. I'd rather them take a little extra time and get it right," DeSantis said. "I don't think you're going have a school district in the state that is going virtual for the whole semester."
Corcoran said surveys have shown a large number of parents want the option to have in-person learning.
"Every parent should have that choice," he said.
