BOCA RATON, FL (BocaNewsNow.com) — Palm Beach County Mayor Dave Kerner just announced that he is in discussions with the Palm Beach County School District about providing COVID-19 testing in every public school building — presumably before the schools open for in-person education.
Kerner also said that Governor Ron DeSantis has indicated to him that there is no mandate for schools to open after the county moves to Phase 2 — that’s a position that Palm Beach County School Board has taken but is under no obligation to do so.
Kerner also said that Governor Ron DeSantis has indicated to him that there is no mandate for schools to open after the county moves to Phase 2 — that’s a position that Palm Beach County School Board has taken but is under no obligation to do so.
“I think everyone has been placed in an uncomfortable and unsafe position,” said Justin Katz, president of the Classroom Teachers Association. “The conditions in a school never been in accordance with CDC guidelines. No matter what we’re going to do we’re going to be bending established rules that others have established in society. (CDC rules in schools) just (are) not going to happen. We need to do this as judiciously as possible because lives are at stake.”
Katz wants the Palm Beach County School District to delay in-person education for at least several weeks following Palm Beach County’s move to “phase 2.”
Mayor David Kerner has been pushing for the same.
“We can’t slow down because of operational deficiencies in the school district,” said Kerner.
The Palm Beach County School Board has not met since a Monday ruling in favor of teachers statewide suing the Florida Dept. of Education which told school districts to open for in-person education, or face a reduction in state education funds. The judge ruled the DOE order was unconstitutional. The ruling is now being appealed by the State of Florida.
