Duval County Public Schools (DCPS) has become the latest addition to a growing list of Florida school districts defying Gov. Ron DeSantis’ ban on mask mandates in public schools.
Following eight hours of public comment and deliberation, the DCPS School Board voted 5 to 2 to require masks in schools, at school-sponsored events and on district-provided transportation unless parents get a medical certificate opting their child out for physical, medical or psychological conditions. Darryl Willie, Vice Chairperson of the Duval County School Board and, Dr. Mobeen Rathore, Professor and Associate Chair, Department of Pediatrics, University of Florida joined us with their thoughts.
Virtual Court
Attorneys in North Florida want a return to virtual court sessions. This comes as attorneys allege that a mask mandate in the local courthouse circuit is not being followed.
Shannon Schott, a partner at Plata Schott Attorneys & Counselors at Law voiced her concerns.
Job Creation
Since the passage of a bipartisan infrastructure bill, representatives in the skilled trade field said they hope to see a surge in job creation. Millions of new jobs are expected to roll out in the next decade and technical workers are expected to fill them.
Mike Cole with the Tulsa Welding School Jacksonville spoke to us with his thoughts.
DESC
The Downtown Ecumenical Services Council is hosting a virtual event this week to help local families living in poverty. Our own Melissa Ross will assist in hosting the event from WJCT Studios.
Executive director David Clark talked to us about what to expect.
Patrick Cantin can be reached at newsteam@wjct.org or on Twitter.
