Schools in Florida's capital city defy governor, impose mask mandate

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - The school superintendent in Tallahassee has announced that masks will be required for students in pre-kindergarten through eighth grade, becoming the seventh district to defy Gov. Ron DeSantis' ban on such COVID-19 mandates. 

Leon County Superintendent Rocky Hanna said Sunday that the district has seen positive tests for the coronavirus skyrocket since school opened Aug. 11. 

He said parents who don't want their elementary or middle school student to wear a mask will need to get a note from their child's physician or psychologist. However, high school students are exempt because they can be vaccinated. 

DeSantis says districts that impose mask mandates are violating a law that says it is up to parents to decide whether their child should be masked.

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