Florida Governor Ron DeSantis revealed that he is planning for children to have a “normal” school year beginning in the fall 2021 term, and came out strongly against the masking of children. The remarks were delivered after he signed landmark legislation that will allow parents to choose which school their children attend through a voucher program.
After signing the legislation, DeSantis answered a number of questions from the media, including a question about his administration’s plan for school children in the fall. “It’s a great question, what about the fall school year? What’s our direction to the school districts and other schools,” said DeSantis, restating the question. “And our direction is relatively simple: Have a normal school year, okay? And that’s what we want, and that’s what will happen, and I’m looking forward to doing that.”
DeSantis noted that independent schools had a functionally normal year, and said, “I think that’s where we need to be, I think a lot of schools have gone in that direction now.” He then added, to applause, “These kids do not need to be wearing these masks, okay? I’m sorry, they don’t. We need to be able to let them be kids, and let them act normally, and that’s what should be the case in the fall, throughout the school year.”
“These kids do not need to be wearing these masks.”
— Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) on the fall school semester. pic.twitter.com/aXSxGZj9ea
— The Recount (@therecount) May 11, 2021
Last week, DeSantis became the first governor to sign legislation formally banning businesses, governments, and schools in the state of Florida from requiring controversial vaccine passports. At the time, DeSantis decried face masks and suggested that those demanding continued masking and COVID-19 vaccine passports are failing to trust the science.
“I think it’s the evidence-based thing to do,” DeSantis said at a press conference held moments after signing the legislation. “I think folks that are saying that they need to be policing people at this point, if you’re saying that you really are saying you don’t believe in the vaccines, you don’t believe in the data you don’t believe in the science.”
DeSantis also recently signed sweeping election integrity reforms, and refused to allow left wing media outlets to attend, insisting instead that the event was exclusively for Fox & Friends, one of the favorite cable news programs of 45th President Donald Trump.