A school board located in a town with a population of less than 100 has been suspended on Aug. 4 after defying the New Mexico mask mandate in place for schools.
On July 26, the Floyd school board voted during a special meeting to make masks and social distancing optional for students. The Public Education Department gave the school board until Aug. 3 to rework the policy to comply with guidelines, according to KOB4.
"I think the governor's office and her Public Education Department is going a little bit too far on this. It's a small school district, and they know their students and they know their situations," State Sen. Stuart Ingle (R-NM) said.
KOB4 reported that the board also put Floyd Municipal Schools Superintendent Damon Terry on administrative leave, which NMPED Secretary Ryan Stewart reversed by reinstating Terry.
A copy of the letter that was sent to the school board from the NMPED was obtained by The Daily Wire.
“By noon on Tuesday, August 3, 2021, the board must take official action at a public meeting to rescind the actions listed above and/or to adopt a course of action that conforms to the published health and safety requirements," the letter read.
“A failure by the board to provide written confirmation of a vote rescinding the offending course of action and/or adopting a course of action that conforms to the published health and safety requirements by noon on Tuesday, August 3, 2021, or any further violations of COVID-Safe Practices, could result in adverse licensure actions against licensed individuals, suspension of school board governance, and other applicable enforcement actions.
“Any punitive actions by the board against the Superintendent, other administrators, or school or district staff for following COVID-Safe Practices may result in immediate suspension of school board governance. Furthermore, the District will be subject to ongoing monitoring and site visits to ensure compliance with health protocols.”
In a statement issued from Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham's (D-NM) office, the governor said that she fully supports the decision PED made for Floyd schools, according to KOB4.
