Schools With Mask Mandates Won't Get Grant Money: Governor

TUCSON, AZ — School districts with mask mandates will not be eligible for $163 million in federal grant funding announced Tuesday by Gov. Doug Ducey.

The funding for district and charter schools is aimed at increasing spending to the tune of up to $1,800 per-pupil, according to a news release from the governor's office.

But schools with mask requirements won't be eligible for that funding, Ducey said. Several school districts in Arizona, including Tucson Unified, have enacted mask mandates.

Districts with existing mask mandates have until Aug. 27 to repeal them to be eligible for the grant funding, Ducey spokesman C.J. Karamargin said, according to The Associated Press.

The grants will be disbursed only to districts that are "following all state laws and remaining open for in-person instruction," Ducey said in the statement.

The state legislation that bans mask mandates, however, does not take effect until Sept. 29, a Maricopa County Superior Court judge ruled Monday. Judge Randall Warner made the ruling in a suit challenging Phoenix Union High's mask mandate, according to court records.

Lawmakers have argued that the mask mandate ban is retroactive from Sept. 29. But Warner ruled that the statute would need two-thirds majority approval for retroactivity, which it did not get.

“Parents have worked tirelessly over the past year and a half to keep their kids on track," Ducey said in the statement. "Parents are in the driver’s seat, and it’s their right to make decisions that best fit the needs of their children. Safety recommendations are welcomed and encouraged — mandates that place more stress on students and families aren’t."

Ducey is one of several Republican governors across the country, including Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who are pushing for individual freedom when it comes to mask usage and vaccination while the nation attempts to fight a COVID-19 surge fueled by the delta variant.

Tucson Unified cited Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidance that recommends universal masking at K-12 schools, regardless of vaccination status, due to the highly contagious delta variant.