The White House is considering neutering Florida Gov. DeSantis' ban on school mask requirements

White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki commended Broward County Public Schools and other Florida school districts Tuesday for showing "the courage and the boldness" to step up and "do the right thing to protect students and keep schools safe and open" by requiring everyone to mask up, in defiance of Gov. Ron DeSantis' (R) executive order barring mask mandates at public schools.

DeSantis is threatening to withhold the salaries of school superintendents and board members who institute mask requirements in their districts, and Psaki said "we're looking into what's possible" to mitigate those threats, including "paying for salaries" with unused federal stimulus funds. The Education Department is leading the discussions on ways the U.S. government can "support districts and schools as they try to follow the science," she said.

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Peter Weber, The Week US

Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.