One day before school was set to start, Superintendent Rocky Hanna, citing a misreading of a new state rule, changed his decision on mask mandates for school children and now will allow a parental opt-out.
The issue over masks was yet again front and center at the Leon County School Board meeting on Tuesday night. TR has followed the controversy for many weeks.
During the meeting, Superintendent Rocky Hanna discussed his actions in the early summer, when he relaxed the mask mandate, making masks optional, for Leon County Schools. He stated as the number in positive COVID-19 cases decreased he believed it was a reasonable choice.
However, over the past two to three weeks as COIVD cases have been on the rise and there has been an increase in cases of children being hospitalized due to the virus, Hanna has since reversed his mask optional decision.
Last week Hanna sent Governor Ron DeSantis a letter requesting the autonomy for school districts to implement mask mandates as needed per their community. Hanna addressed in the letter the new COVID variant, the increase in local hospitalizations due to the virus, as well as the fact that classrooms will be denser this school year and socially distancing children will be more difficult.
Hanna stated, “I’m asking you to allow us the flexibility and the autonomy to make the decisions for our schools that best fit our local data and information in Leon County. At this time, we would like to implement a temporary mask requirement in grades Pre-K—8, in order to help reduce the community positivity rate.” During the meeting the Superintendent stated he did not receive a response from DeSantis regarding the letter.
Later that week, Friday, August 6, 2021, the Department of Health approved a new rule which requires school mask mandates to allow parents to opt out of the requirement. Following the agency’s approval of the new rule, various school districts announced mask policies that include an opt-out provision.
Hanna asserted on Tuesday night that he had misinterpreted the new rule, believing a signed medical waiver was required by parents to opt out of face coverings for their child. Therefore, he implemented this in the new mask protocol.
Subsequently, Superintendent Rocky Hanna and Chair Joy Bowen received a letter from Commissioner Richard Corcoran on August 10, 2021. In the letter Corcoran refers to Hanna’s decision as a “significant neglect in response to the recently adopted Emergency Rule.” He also stated that an investigation will commence concerning the decision and he demanded Hanna respond via letter by Wednesday, August 11, 2021.
An emotional Hanna read the letter during Tuesday night’s meeting, and then requested the Board to discuss the issue. He stated he has done a great deal of soul searching and has heard from both sides. He said that on more than one occasion he has received emails calling him names and accusing him of being concerned with only getting votes. Hanna also sighted an occasion where he was verbally abused by a stranger with the opposing view, yelling at him that he is only sucking up to the Governor by allowing mask optional.
Hanna said, “you can’t put a price tag on someone’s life, including my salary.” This remark came because of a warning made by the Commissioner in the letter stating, that the “State Board of Education will withhold funds equal to the salaries for the Superintendent” and Board members.
After hearing discussion by the Board, 15 speakers from the community, and the possible legal options moving forward, Hanna addressed the Board.
Hanna explained that he agrees with parental rights, however, wearing a mask does not only protect the person wearing it, but also those around them. He stated, “the prudent thing to do would be, for tomorrow and to start school, we eliminate the medical doctor’s signature, however we require the parents to sign a form for opt out option.” Also, masks will be required for grades K through 12. The opt-out applies to all grades.
Hanna wants to move forward with seeking legal guidance to determine how Leon County Schools may gain control of their actions, by going against what the Governor and state have mandated, but without breaking the law.
Hanna Reverses Direction, Parents Can Opt-Out of Mask Requirements added by Lynsey Kirk on
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@ JohnFSU… a false equivalent, and very weak I might add. Put down the bong, and pick up a book… you’ll thank me later
I don’t get it. Why are the same people harping about personal liberties and masks / vaccines, the same ones who support laws that throw drug users in prison?
“Hanna asserted on Tuesday night that he had misinterpreted the new rule…”
More proof of the failures of the Public Indoctrination System… hell, even the StupidIntendant cannot even comprehend basic English.
Question is how this will be enforced. So ‘opted-out’ kids can go maskless but non-opted-out kids will be told to mask-up or what get their parents called?
Hanna misread the resolve of the Governor and Education Commissioner. Too many times in the past, the Republicans have let the left walk all over them. I am delighted to see things changing. Thank you Governor DeSantis and Commissioner Corcoran. Please stay strong.
Yet next stop Tallahassee Chamber of Commerce junket at Amelia Island Ritz-Carlton where the school board and school superintendent will attend paid for by taxpayers.
I also don’t understand why Big Brothers Big Sisters, Elder Care Services, Leon County government, City of Tallahassee government, Florida Senate, Leon County Property Appraiser’s Office, Marpan Supply, Office of the State Attorney, and the United Way of Big Bend believe this is a legitimate expense that taxpayers must pay for representatives of these entities to attend.
What benefit do taxpayers receive?
Are the kids that are opting out going to be labeled now? How else are they going to keep track of them? The idea of labeling children goes against so many psychological issues we as parents have been fighting for. This is why it should have been left alone as being optional. Yellow star ring a bell? Scary
To critical thinkers out there read this very closely and tell me they care about our kids safety. They want an outbreak to occur in our scruels. They need that to occur. Leftists do not care about children and indeed do everything possible to destroy them. And to you invincibly ignorant Branch Covidian maskhole cultists, put your CCP face diaper on, re-breathe your own excrement and shut up.
https://www.leonschools.net/Page/53111
Employees –
If FULLY vaccinated, no quarantine is needed, and the employee does not need to leave their site.
The employee should NOT get tested if fully vaccinated. IF TESTED AND IT IS POSITIVE, FULL QUARANTINE WILL BE REQUIRED. (Emphasis added)
That folks right there is a hidden acknowledgement that they know the Clot Shots do not work and indeed significantly spread the virus. The number one vector of infection to children comes directly from infected adults. If a clot shotted adult employee is shedding the virus, with or without testing they will infect our kids regardless of forcing the face diaper on our kids.
Children are not catching or being hospitalized due to the China Bio-Weapon Flu. What we are experiencing around the country is the result of weak minds being manipulated with fear and doom-n-gloom propaganda promulgated by the DemoKKKrats, their Media PACs, and Tony “Mengele” Fraudci.
This is how it works… Parents have been intentionally inundated with fear and death propaganda… then their child gets a typical seasonal and common cold or mild flu, and the parents flip out (because of the propaganda) and run to the hospital. The hospital gets a $28K increase per-patient coded with having the China Bio-Weapon Flu, so they code the child as having the China Bio-Weapon Flu for pure profit motives. Then the propagandists get more fraudulent data to support their propaganda campaign of Mass Manipulation and Compliance. It’s ALL about politics and money… it always is.
These maniacs celebrate killing millions of innocent babies (particularly in our communities of color) under the guise of “women’s” healthcare. What makes ANYONE think they give a rats’ rear-end about ANY of our children at ANY age?
The China Bio-Weapon Flu Scamdemic is the most maniacal, heinous, and perversely-criminal political stunt pulled in our history. And many will burn in he// over it.
While the mask lecturing by these sociopathic, psychotic Branch Covidian Cultists and Kommissars was raging they quietly implemented the rules for thee and not for me on quarantine protocols for our kids.
From the LCS website https://www.leonschools.net/Page/53111 :
Quarantine protocol when test result is positive
• Either 10 days starting from the date symptoms started OR 10 days from the date you were tested with a positive result, whichever one occurred first. Can return on Day 11.
Contact tracing for identified exposures
• Once a positive case is identified, LCS administrators will look back 48 hours from time of test or start of symptoms to include anyone closer than 6’ for more than 15 minutes, with or without a mask. Vaccinated individuals will NOT be required to quarantine.
This flies in complete contradiction of the openly stated fact by none other than their holy CDC and its mouthpiece the NY Times that breakthrough cases are occurring amongst the clot shotted, clot shotted folks carry a significantly larger viral load than the non-clot shotted, they shed the virus just as much if not more than non-clot shotted, the clot shots are failing (need a 3rd and more jab) and a significant percentage of cases in hospitals are those already clot shotted (74% in one Massachusetts case.)
These filthy, despicable, vile Branch Covidian cult members are enacting re-segregation in our scruels. Ironically, the highest percentage of those without clot shots are folks like me. Kommissar Hanna and the other filthy trash of the Scruel Board are despicable.
This guy has the leadership skills of a deer caught in headlights.
Hanna did not misread anything he got caught and had to back down. Just because his schools aren’t at appropriate reading levels he can’t use that excuse that he misread.
As for Roseanne Woods she needs to resign immediately. In her position she needs to be held at a higher level and she broke the trust of the public at large by her inappropriate if not illegal cyber bullying which involved children.
Note to Rosanne and Rocky don’t inject your leftist politics into our children’s lives and education.
Again Woods needs to resign immediately and Rocky will be held accountable on Election Day.
The meeting room last night was filled with mask mandate lovers that all believe they know more than parents and we’re all idiots for standing up. Why, because you’re a high school science teacher at Chiles? I’m so tired of the board and teachers making comments about how they’re responsible for our children. I guess it’s easier to teach young minds about Marxism, Socialism, Communism and Authoritarianism when the parents give up control. Well, I’m not and I encourage all parents not to give up control. Like Mr. Jones said last night, we have to be willing to stand up for what’s right. This mask mandate and potential vaccine mandate is tyranny, make no mistake.
I prefer dangerous Liberty to peaceful servitude. – Thomas Jefferson
“citing a misreading” ? Rocky must have attended a Leon County School…I hear less than half the students can read at a satisfactory level.
Rocky Hannah should be on trial.
What I neglected to add is its still a mandate which should be against the law. And making parents inconvenience themselves by opting out should be also against the law.
Sorry Hanna Not Good Enough! Stop your foolishness and lift the mask mandate.
“Hanna, citing a misreading of a new state rule, changed his decision on mask mandates for school children and now will allow a parental opt-out.” ………………. Misread? It was simple ENGLISH. There is no way you could have “Misread” it.
So Hanna implemented the mandate for pre K – 8.
Then in the second to last paragraph it seems masks will be required for grades K – 12.
So Hanna is lifting the mask requirement for pre K only?
And we should look at it as a good thing? I dont think parents are going to be happy with K – 12 mask requirements.