State Board of Education

The State Board of Education is slated this week to approve a proposal that would require public colleges to have supplies of emergency opioid antagonists in residence halls and dormitories.

Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a bill Tuesday that requires training school officers to better deal with "students with emotional disturbance or mental illness" and addresses rules on emergency drills.

The state says recent action by the two counties in the center of the conflict should end the legal battle with the U.S. Department of Education. If it doesn’t, the state will argue its case in court.

During Tuesday's media briefing, White House spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre asked, "why are these legislators, these Republicans ... getting in the way of saving lives,"

The U.S. Department of Education has asked an administrative judge to block the state from slashing federal aid money sent to the Broward and Alachua school districts over their mask mandates.

The board adopted an emergency rule in August that said students under a quarantine directive can be deemed in attendance.

More than a dozen districts are slated to go before the board, which has already fined two — Alachua and Broward — over mask policies that do not allow parents the choice to opt out.

Two districts revised mask mandates to allow parental opt-outs, but others aren't backing down. Education Commission Richard Corcoran has now suggested pulling funds equal to federal grants awarded to cover the penalties of noncompliant boards.

The Hillsborough County School Board voted to remove the medical opt-out clause and give parents the choice of whether their children wear masks.

The board will meet Oct. 7 and focus on the districts in Alachua, Brevard, Broward, Duval, Hillsborough, Indian River, Leon, Miami-Dade, Orange, Palm Beach and Sarasota counties.