Florida Department of Education launches investigation into school board’s non-compliance with rules

BY JENNIFER CABRERA

Yesterday Richard Corcoran, the Commissioner of the Florida Department of Education (FLDOE) sent a letter to Alachua County Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Carlee Simon and School Board Chair Dr. Leanetta McNealy, expressing “grave concern” over the district’s “significant neglect” in response to last week’s emergency rule from the Florida Department of Health (FDOH). The rule requires school districts to “allow for a parent or legal guardian of the student to opt-out the student from wearing a face covering or mask.” However, Alachua County Public Schools (ACPS) is requiring the signature of “a licensed medical doctor, a licensed osteopathic physician or a licensed advanced registered nurse practitioner.“

The letter says that this requirement “is inconsistent with the emergency rule.” It goes on to note that “Your district’s response, as noted in our conversation, and in recent letters sent to parents/guardians, as well as public statements made during press events this week indicate that you have no current intentions of complying with this order.”

Citing Section 1008.32 Florida Statutes, Corcoran wrote, “I am immediately initiating an investigation of non-compliance with rules” from FDOH and FLDOE. The letter demands a written response by 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday, August 10, documenting how the district is complying with the rules. Any failure to comply with the rules “will result in sanctions permitted under law.” The sanctions listed in the statute include withholding the transfer of state funds, discretionary grant funds, discretionary lottery funds, or any other funds specified as eligible for this purpose by the Legislature.”

Corcoran wrote that he may recommend to the State Board of Education that the Department withhold funds in an amount equal to the salaries for the Superintendent and all the members of the School Board.

The letter concludes, “There is no room for error or leniency when it comes to ensuring compliance with policies that allow parents and guardians to make health and educational choices for their children” and that the district must “remedy this glaring non-compliance and report the resolution” to FLDOE.

  • Boom! Scramble you commies! Watch, they’ll pull a Maxine Waters and cry RESIST and the dumb liberals in Gainesville will call them heroes. PSH!

  • I suspect they are all about to get fired if they don’t start playing by the rules. That could be why DeSantis hasn’t bothered to replace the fifth school board member yet.

  • Oh, now Ms. Simon can REALLY be the martyr! She will make yet another round of appearances on all of her favorite liberal news stations and cry about the governor withholding her salary, all because she cares about the children and he doesn’t. I wish he would go on and name a replacement so they could vote her OUT!

    • It’s now August, we’re 7 months into the year. She’s gotten, $165,000/12 = $13,750 x 7 = $96,250 in salary, excluding perks (car allowance, clothing). I don’t think she should be crying about anything. Although the last president and most liberals do about practically everything but especially when they don’t get their way.

      There are people on the front lines who need the money far more than she does. How’s that equity working for you?

      Keep on believing…

      • Desantis is in control of 45% of ACSB budget…he
        Should just drop the atomic bomb and withhold the
        Whole amount. Walk gently and carry a big stick?…
        He needs to whack them with his big stick.

    • Why did Israel mandate that all their citizens receive
      The Pfizer shot?… Didn’t they learn from the Holocaust?
      —And Germany is in lockdown…you can’t do anything there without “your Vax papers pleeeze”. The German
      Government authorized a propaganda piece of this old German
      Woman shooting a bird saying “ F$%k you if you don’t
      Want to wear a mask”…is Biden and his ilk going to go
      That far? It’s not about a “renamed cold flu virus”, its a diabolical plan by the UN using psyops & medical tyranny to destroy freedom & liberty on the planet and create a new world commie fascist order. Destroy the economy, destroy the dollar, make it so you can’t function in society without getting the shot, and then
      Come to the rescue with the great reset. They will
      come for the guns next…

  • I heard Alachua county has more than enough money from covid relief money to pay for their needs

  • Look at all the anti science, anti maskers, and anti vaxxers in here rooting for the demise of children. Just so they can stick it to the libs….this woman and everyone that support her are trying to save kids. The variant is starting to take kids lives and you sheep are more concern over tribal politics. Over 90% of the ppl in the hospital is unvaccinated individuals and Florida is on fire….but you guys wanna cry about her salary or get getty at the chance to call someone a commie. Darwin is winning this little game DeSantis is playing. And it doesn’t matter how hard you cheer for him you both will lose. And children’s lives will be a casualty of this war on science smh

    • Wondering when some $oci@li$t idiot was going to chime in. She has managed to fool you and the other liberal idiots who continue to forget she has ZERO experience managing a school district. Maybe people would have more faith in her if she did teach more than just “shop.” The talk show circuit doesn’t count, any idiot will listen to someone on a soapbox, (you’re an example). The only experience she has is the past 7 months is running this district into the ground. The political bias is alive and well…

      You obviously are clueless about the district and should probably just keep your opinion to yourself or only speak/type in private to hide your ignorance. Even after stating the school district would only take notes excusing a child from wearing a mask from a doctor, the number was higher than she anticipated and said on the local propaganda station that they were going to be investigated. It’s a control thing. The same thing the BoCC was crying about yesterday and yet they seem to have forgotten they took that same control from rural communities and people in the last election cycle.

      One day they’ll turn on you as well. It’s what THEY do.

      Keep on believing whatever they tell you though…

    • You coward communists are so deluded with your
      Covid cult and you feel you must be in control of other
      People’s lives and get your power from the collective.
      It’s a pitiful existence when you live in a golden cage.
      You push the fear and your tribe is deluded and godless.
      If it were the days of King Arthur, it would be settled on
      The battlefield. The one with
      The armor of god will vanquish. Putting masks on children is child abuse. “We don’t need no CRT education, we don’t need no thought control, no Covid Vax mandate, and no face mask, Hey!, teachers,
      Leave them kids alone!!!

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