Education - US

COVID cases in Utah kids 3.5 times higher this school year, health official says Utah's COVID-19 cases in school-age children are 3.5 times higher at the beginning of this school year than last, one top health official said Tuesday. kslcom

SALT LAKE CITY — Utah's COVID-19 cases in school-age children are 3.5 times higher at the beginning of this school year than last, one top health official said Tuesday.

State mask bans face federal civil rights inquiries (apnews.com)

The Education Department on Monday opened civil rights investigations into five Republican-led states that have banned or limited mask requirements in schools, saying the policies could amount to discrimination against students with disabilities or health conditions.

The department’s Office for Civil Rights announced the investigations in letters to education chiefs in Iowa, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee and Utah. Those states have issued varying prohibitions on mask requirements, which the office says could prevent some students from safely attending school.

Education Secretary Miguel Cardona accused the states of “putting politics over the health and education of the students they took an oath to serve.”

“The department will fight to protect every student’s right to access in-person learning safely,” Cardona said in a statement.

GOP bans on school masks draw federal civil rights challenges The legal challenges argue that those state’s bans on universal masking in schools run afoul of federal anti-discrimination laws meant to protect children with disabilities. Michael Stratford POLITICO

Disability rights advocates are taking on Republican governors who block school mask requirements, launching a slew of federal civil rights lawsuits that could serve as a blueprint for the Biden administration as it weighs legal options to fight the policies.