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What can Corcoran do to the Hillsborough schools?

Hillsborough could stay closed for four weeks, but lose a lot of money.
 
Department of Education Commissioner Richard Corcoran  looks on while State Surgeon General Dr. Scott Rivkees, speaks about the confirmed coronavirus cases in Hillsborough and Manatee Counties while other local and state officials are in attendance during a press conference at the Florida Department of Health Laboratory in Tampa, Florida on March 2, 2020.
Department of Education Commissioner Richard Corcoran looks on while State Surgeon General Dr. Scott Rivkees, speaks about the confirmed coronavirus cases in Hillsborough and Manatee Counties while other local and state officials are in attendance during a press conference at the Florida Department of Health Laboratory in Tampa, Florida on March 2, 2020. [ Times (2020) ]
Published Aug. 10, 2020|Updated Aug. 10, 2020

TAMPA —When the work week ended on Friday, Commissioner of Education Richard Cororan had just informed the Hillsborough County School District that it could NOT delay the start of in-person schools until mid-September, after submitting a plan that would have opened them on Aug. 24.

Can Corcoran defend that position?

District leaders are weighing their options.

Late in the day, they released this letter that preceded the one from Corcoran. It is their explanation, addressed to Chancelor Jacob Oliva, for the decision on Thursday to postpone opening school buildings to students.

Jim Porter, the school board’s attorney, says the letter makes an important point: That the School Board did not vote arbitarily, but after hearing from a panel of medical experts. Most, when asked directly if it was a good time to open the schools, said no.

Jim Porter is the attorney for the Hillsborough County School Board [ MARLENE SOKOL | Times staff ]

Dr. Douglas Holt, the county’s health department director, did not make such a recommendation. But he did present statistics that showed wide community spread of the coronavirus that causes COVID-19. He discussed the likelihood that schools filled with children would spread the coronavirus even more. And he acknowledged the task of contact tracing could be overwhelming.

The data from the University of South Florida College of Medicine is here, and the data presented from Holt is here, clearly showing that even as Hillsborough’s COVID-19 positivity rate comes down, it is still more than twice the 5 percent threshhold that indicates a safe level to reopen

“I’m comfortable with our legal position, because we relied on input from the local health department and other local medical professionals,” Porter said. So we are in compliance with the order,” meaning the July 6 order in which Corcoran asked districts to submit their reopening plans.

Two other things are not clear, however.

First? How many millions of dollars in funding does Hillsborough stand to lose if Corcoran’s department penalizes the district by denying them waivers that were offered as incentives to open school buildings in August?

And did Corcoran even have the legal standing to issue his July 6 order? That question is the subject of pending lawsuits in Leon and Orange counties.