Local districts have their plans in place to reopen after weeks of debating how to do so safely. As for whether, or not they should reopen that is not a question the health department can answer, even when districts ask.The issue came up in a Volusia County School Board meeting in July.Patricia Boswell the administrator of the Florida Department of Health in Volusia County stated, "We've been advised that our role here is to just advise as to what can we do to make the environment in schools as safe as possible with COVID-19. It is not to make a decision on whether, or not to open up the school."On Friday in Orlando, WESH Reporter Paul Rivera asked Gov. Ron DeSantis why that direction exists. "You can't just delegate that out, I think, to somebody who's not accountable to the people. It's not their decision. They can get advice. They can get input, but it's not up to the health department to say a 'yes or a no'. They inform the policymakers, they provide the information, they should absolutely do that, but to say that they should be the ones to have effectively veto power, that's just not the way it works," DeSantis said.DeSantis said he does not want health leaders to keep a district closed who believes they are ready to open.This leaves the local health departments, who are functioning under the state's direction, to only give guidance about safety and not about school reopenings during a public health crisis, even when school district leaders have asked whether now is the right time to reopen."It's unfortunate that the governor has put your office in a very uncomfortable position," Volusia County School Board Member Ruben Coln said to Boswell.

Local districts have their plans in place to reopen after weeks of debating how to do so safely. As for whether, or not they should reopen that is not a question the health department can answer, even when districts ask.

The issue came up in a Volusia County School Board meeting in July.

Patricia Boswell the administrator of the Florida Department of Health in Volusia County stated, "We've been advised that our role here is to just advise as to what can we do to make the environment in schools as safe as possible with COVID-19. It is not to make a decision on whether, or not to open up the school."

On Friday in Orlando, WESH Reporter Paul Rivera asked Gov. Ron DeSantis why that direction exists.

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"You can't just delegate that out, I think, to somebody who's not accountable to the people. It's not their decision. They can get advice. They can get input, but it's not up to the health department to say a 'yes or a no'. They inform the policymakers, they provide the information, they should absolutely do that, but to say that they should be the ones to have effectively veto power, that's just not the way it works," DeSantis said.

DeSantis said he does not want health leaders to keep a district closed who believes they are ready to open.

This leaves the local health departments, who are functioning under the state's direction, to only give guidance about safety and not about school reopenings during a public health crisis, even when school district leaders have asked whether now is the right time to reopen.

"It's unfortunate that the governor has put your office in a very uncomfortable position," Volusia County School Board Member Ruben Coln said to Boswell.

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'It's not their decision,' Gov. on Health Departments not being able to make school reopening call - WESH 2 Orlando