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Gym owners across the state are becoming increasingly frustrated with a lack of clarity from the Governor regarding how and when they might be able to reopen.

The state agency that regulates gyms hasn’t been able to provide answers and is calling on the Governor to make a decision soon.

Red Hills Crossfit in the state’s capital has been shuttered since mid-March.

“We would consider ourselves essential. Maybe more so than like a dry cleaner,” said owner Travis Perkins.

Perkins was a surprised when the Governor disregarded the recommendation from his own task force and left gyms out of phase one.

“But we took it as black and white. It said gyms, fitness centers and we didn’t try to necessarily try to classify ourselves as anything else,” said Perkins.

But Commissioner of Agriculture Nikki Fried told us the Governor’s break from the task force recommendation has created confusion for other gyms.

Her agency has received over 100 consumer complaints of gyms improperly opening.

“Complaints from those that are complying with you know the words that are on the executive order and have shut down, but yet all their competition is opening back up. So there’s a frustration out there,” said Fried.

In a letter seeking clarity from the Governor, Fried also mentioned reports of gym owners who were told by the Governor’s own administration that they could in fact open under certain circumstances.

“DBPR is giving them one answer, our inspectors are going out there giving them a separate answer,” said Fried.

The frustration boiled over in Clearwater Monday, with dozens of gym owners and employees protesting.

“We have no communication from anybody with regards to when we’re able to open or why we’re not able to open,” said Travis LaBazzo, owner of Amped Fitness.

LaBazzo organized the protest.

He told us he and other owners want answers now.

“If for nothing else, we at least deserve a date,” said LaBrazzo.

Both gym owners we spoke with said they were able to qualify for PPP loans, which has helped them stay afloat and keep paying employees.

They noted that money will only last for so long.

Like the Commissioner, we also reached out to the Governor asking for clarity, but have not received a response.

We’ll continue pushing for an answer.

The proverbial check is in the mail for thousands of students and could arrive as early as Wednesday.

The money comes from FSU’s nearly $30 million share of the Federal Cares Act, but it is only for students who have already demonstrated a financial need.

FSU’s first wave of funding totals $6.2 million.

It will send checks ranging from $400 to $600 to more than 12,500 students who have already demonstrated a financial need.

Graduate students could see $1,000 checks.

“The Department of Education gave us the criteria, kind of to base it on. Pell Grant money, people who desperately need financial aid. People who had already filed an application with the Federal government for some type of grant in aid,” said FSU President, John Thrasher.

Statewide, more than $125 million will go directly to students, but each University has latitude on how to distribute the money.

Across town from FSU, Florida A&M is sending the bulk of its $6.5 million out now.

“We have over 65 percent of our students who are Pell eligible and so we know they need those funds now,” said FAMU Vice President for Student Affairs Bill Hudson.

Under FAMU’s plan, every student can apply for a share of the remaining funds.

“Everyone’s eligible because they can fill out the application and be eligible as well to provide documentation of the hardship they experienced,” said Hudson.

A total of $14.6 million will go to Florida State’s needy students.

Right now the university is trying to decide if some will go to those who enroll in the summer, or just those in the fall.

Under the Cares Act, Universities must send half of their funds directly to students, the other half can cover university expenses.

And students can use the money for unexpected expenses such as travel or child care caused by the pandemic.

FSU Students who want to learn more about future funding should visit the University’s final aid site.

FSU says losses from the pandemic could total $75 million to date.

More than a quarter million Floridians filed for unemployment last week.

As of Friday, just over 41 percent of the unique claims had been paid.

Florida is one of the cheapest and slowest states when it comes to paying benefits.

Florida’s $275 a week benefits were set in 1999.

If they had kept up with inflation, the weekly stipend would be at $432 and change.

Democrats failed in their attempt to force a special session to deal with compensation.

In a conference call during a lawsuit seeking to speed up payments Attorney Steve Andrews called it par for the course.

“I’ve never seen any state make it easy for poor folks to be paid,” said Andrews.

The latest statistics show just 48 percent of the 1.3 million plus claims have been paid.

“It’s amazingly frustrating,” said unemployed Cape Coral graphic designer Kathy Read.

Read has waited weeks.

Contrast that with her son who lives in Massachusetts.

“He did his application on a Friday afternoon. On Tuesday he got five weeks of back pay, so it’s astonishing to me that there could be such an extreme difference,” said Read.

She isn’t alone.

About one in three claims remains stuck in a verification cue.

The delay sparked a three car protest, honking horns and driving around the block that houses the state’s unemployment agency Monday afternoon.

Laura Tweed came from Central Florida.

She called the trip worth the cost of gas.

“I am sick and tired. No one will return our calls. I’ve gone to all my congressmen, my senators, my legislators. I’ve gone everywhere,” said Tweed.

Only three states and Puerto Rico offer smaller benefits than Florida.

The number of claims denied since March 15 topped 300,000 Monday.

If you have been turned down, you are allowed to appeal.

You can find the information here.

A lawsuit has been filed against The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services for halting online concealed carry applications.

It alleges the pause has infringed on Floridians’ second amendment rights.

Floridian’s haven’t been able to apply for a concealed carry permit online for six weeks now.

The Department’s website says the pause is due to COVID-19, but President of Young Americans for Liberty Cliff Maloney argues the Department and its leader, Commissioner of Agriculture Nikki Fried have no legal right to halt applications.

“She’s putting out political E-mails and working with gun-grabbing groups to try to send a message here,” said Maloney.

He’s filed suit against the Department and Fried, who is the lone statewide elected Democrat.

Maloney hopes to force the Department to reopen the online process.

“We are just trying to make sure that every single person in the State of Florida has the right to defend themselves and has the right to defend their family, something Nikki Fried does not have the right to dictate,” said Maloney.

The Department argues the pause is to prevent people from submitting incomplete applications, being denied and losing their nonrefundable application fee.

Applicants must submit fingerprints from one of its regional offices, a tax collector’s office or police department, but many have been closed to the public throughout the pandemic.

Florida law doesn’t specifically call for concealed carry applications to be made available online, but Maloney noted, the Department of Agriculture is still accepting hemp cultivation applications online, which also require fingerprints.

The Department is still processing paper applications for concealed carry.

It’s completed more than 54,000 since March 1st.

But Maloney argues the Department’s justifications are missing the point.

“They don’t have the right to make an argument. Right? As I said this is a ‘shall’ issue state. Her job is to make sure that we meet the requirements and then offer the permit,” said Maloney.

Other groups including the NRA have come out in support of the suit.

Former NRA President Marion Hammer told us in a statement, “The Commissioner of Agriculture is NOT above the law despite the fact that Nikki Fried obviously thinks she should be. It is clear that In her efforts to deny gun rights she also violated Florida law.”

Florida’s Attorney General Ashley Moody also warned Fried last month that halting online applications may open her office up to a lawsuit.

A spokesperson from the Department of Agriculture sent us this statement on the suspension of online applications: “This action is consistent with state law and is in the interest of Floridians seeking concealed weapons licenses — anyone who wants to apply can submit applications with fingerprint cards from a law enforcement agency by mail or through tax collector offices, as normal.”

The Attorney General’s Office told us it has not been contacted to represent the Florida Department of Agriculture in the case.

Following a judge’s refusal earlier this week to order the state to speed up unemployment payments, the judge has become a target on social media.

On Wednesday, Circuit Court Judge Angela Dempsey was sympathetic after listening to an hour and a half hearing.

“And we all feel bad for these folks that are having to wait,” said Dempsey.

She then ruled against eight unemployed Floridians in a hearing trying to force the state to move faster paying claims.

“I’m going to grant the motion to dismiss,” said Dempsey.

In his closing minutes earlier, Attorney Gautier Kitchen talked about pent up frustration.

“They are hurting, and they are hurting now, and the situation is dire. The despair is real,” said Kitchen.

And In the hours and days that followed, the frustration was turned on the judge.

A Facebook group, People of Florida, with over 4,400 members was brutal.

A previous reprimand was posted, another promised to fill up her email.

Yet another listed the website of her challenger this Fall.

The judge’s campaign facebook page was down Friday.

As a judicial candidate, Judge Dempsey’s challenger said there was nothing he could say about the judge.

But he did tell us interest in his campaign has picked up with more people offering to volunteer.

Stay tuned.

There is hope.

“It’s not over. No,” said Attorney Marie Mattox.

While the judge shot down a motion, the lawsuit is still alive.

“So that lawsuit was pending. It was going to be a longer term, and its still going to be a longer term solution, hopefully solution to the problem. But at the same time, we’re filing a petition for an emergency injunction,” said Mattox.

And the lawsuit is assigned to another judge, which gives the attorneys hope.

Court Administrator Grant Sladen provided this statement: “While some litigants and some members of the public may not be satisfied with the results in every case, our system of justice relies on due process and transparency, not particular outcomes.”

You’ll likely start seeing ads in the coming weeks encouraging you to visit Florida’s natural and outdoor tourist attractions.

It’s part of the state’s tourism marketing agency’s strategy for kickstarting the economy.

It was just before the start of the pandemic VISIT FLORIDA was marketing the state as a destination to ‘get away’ and ‘get closer’.

As described in a recent Executive Meeting, the messaging for phase one of its reopening plan is quite different.

“The consumer mindset is that safety equals home,” said VISIT FLORIDA Chief Marketing Officer Staci Mellman.

But the agency already has its sights set on the next phase.

An ad campaign will be rolled out.

It’s target audience: Florida residents.

“Data suggests that people feel a lot more comfortable traveling closer to home when they begin traveling again,” said Mellman.

The campaign will feature Florida’s natural destinations, where social distancing can be easily attained.

Every Floridian can play a part in helping the state’s largest industry recover.

“Taking advantage of all the wonderful outdoors opportunities that Florida brings is a great way to support our economy, have a great time with your family and also stay safe,” said Geoff Luebkemann, Vice President of the Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association.

Luebkemann tells us the timeline for the campaign’s rollout will largely depend on consumer confidence.

“It’s a careful balancing act between going too hard at it and too gung-ho without recognizing the public health aspects that still have to be respected,” said Luebkemann.

Survey data on VISIT FLORIDA’s website shows slight improvements in tourist confidence.

A growing number say they’d travel by plane or stay in a hotel in the near future.

Still, for more than half respondents it will be at least four months before they do either.

Traffic to VISIT FLORIDA’s website has also been steadily rising for the past two weeks.

It’s now nearly twice as high as it was the same time last year, suggesting there’s a pent up demand for travel and Florida is on tourists’ radar.

If your attended a Florida university during the Spring semester, money you paid for students fees could be headed back into your pocket if a class action lawsuit filed by a University of Florida student is successful.

Universities returned housing and meal plan costs when students had to leave campus and begin online learning this Spring, but student fees weren’t included.

“That’s why we felt the need to file this lawsuit,” said Anthony Rojas, who filed the lawsuit.

The suit seeks the return of millions in fees for an estimated 300,000 students who attended Florida’s 12 universities this Spring.

“They’re mainly used for physical services on campus. You know, they gyms, the mental health, the health centers. All of those things. And when we can’t physically use those those services, we feel that’s not right,” said Rojas.

Undergraduate students at UF like Anthony pay $63.47 per credit hour.

Taking the minimum 12 hours to be considered full time, it adds up to about $760.

“It gets much higher when you get into the graduate students, and the graduate students are also part of the class here,” said Attorney Matt Miller who is representing Anthony in the case.

Miller points to the fact online students aren’t generally charged student fees.

Some universities have even opted to drop fees for students who will be forced to attend Summer classes online this year due to the pandemic.

“They can’t charge those fees because the students aren’t there to access those services,” said Miller.

Many Florida students are out of work because of the virus and didn’t qualify for federal stimulus checks.

If successful, the money returned to students could provide much needed relief.

We reached out to the Board of Governors and asked why student fees haven’t been returned.

We were told the board could not comment on pending litigation, but we’ll be posing the question to Governor Ron DeSantis the first chance we get.

If your a student who attended a university in-person this Spring, you’re eligible to join the suit.

If you’re interested, contact Miller at mmiller@msmillerlaw.com.

As Florida businesses begin reopening, many are pushing for immunity from legal actions as a result of the coronavirus, but what does that mean to the people like you who visit those businesses?

It depends on what state lawmakers eventually agree upon.

The economy is drowning, Florida sales tax collections are off by 25 percent.

Businesses want to reopen, but many want to know they can’t be sued first.

“This is meant to be narrow and specific. Targeted and temporary protections to deal with specific COVID-19 lawsuits,” said David Hart with the Florida Chamber of Commerce.

A poll commissioned by the state’s trial lawyers show voters across all political stripes don’t like the idea.

Leslie Mitchell Kroeger is the Florida Justice Association President.

“To me it says if you are already jumping not being sued, you haven’t spent enough time on how to open safely,” said Kroeger.

State Senator Jeff Brandes has been working on a draft he’s calling a safe harbor.

“That if they are following the state guidelines, and they are sued, they can argue that they have a safe harbor. Now if they are grossly negligent, or there’s willful misconduct, obviously that safe harbor won’t apply,” said Brandes.

Brandes believes if the poll question were asked differently, it would get a different response.

“If somebody was following the guidelines, and you had asymptomatic people involved, and people got sick, should your small business be subject to a lawsuit?” said Brandes.

A safe harbor would require specific guidelines for each industry, but they don’t exist right now.

Both the Chamber and Brandes believe more thorough guidelines are coming with each new phase.

In the end opening the state will come down to how safe people feel walking into a business.

Limiting liability is expected to be part of the next round of virus legislation in Washington.

There’s also a growing belief state lawmakers will be back in the Capitol within a month or so to work on the budget and safe harbor legislation.

Florida’s Attorney General, the State Senate and anti-drug groups are trying to prevent Florida voters from making their voices heard on recreational marijuana.

A proposed ballot initiative brought before the State Supreme Court Wednesday will need the court’s go ahead to make it on the 2022 ballot.

If approved by voters the amendment would allow Medical Marijuana Treatment Centers to dispense up to 2.5 ounces of marijuana for recreational use to Floridians 21 and older.

In its first ever virtual hearing, Justices heard from anti-drug groups and the Attorney General’s Office, all hoping to squash the initiative.

They argued the proposal should be struck down because it doesn’t tell voters marijuana would still be against the law at the federal level.

“And the proposed amendment would not either undo or override that federal law,” said Amit Argarwal, a lawyer representing the Attorney General’s Office.

Justices pointed to medical marijuana, approved by voters in 2016, which is also illegal under federal law.

“In my five minute drive to work I think I pass like ten medical marijuana dispensaries,” said Justice Carlos Muñiz. “Why wouldn’t this have the same kind of effect?”

The State Senate pushed another argument trying to block the amendment from voters.

It asserts the proposal violates the US constitution, which a new state law requires the court to consider.

But Nick Hansen who chairs Make It Legal Florida, the campaign sponsoring the amendment, argues there’s no conflict.

“There’s nothing in the US Constitution that speaks to the ability for adults to possess and use cannabis,” said Hansen. “I think what we saw today in the arguments made from the different opponents were very thin technical arguments, masking what are clearly policy differences.”

The proposal still needs more than 200,000 signatures to secure its place on the ballot.

Petitions were sent in the mail, so you may already have one in your possession.

If you haven’t received a potion and want one, you can sign up online to have one sent to your home.

One lawsuit filed against the state for not paying unemployment claims timely got a hearing Wednesday.

The same day, the Governor got an unusual offer from a high profile lawyer.

The suit was filed by eight unemployed Floridians in hopes of speeding up the payment of unemployment claims.

The hearing was held virtually.

“So you certainly have the right to issue an order taking over the payment process and directing DEO to hire a competent person to process these claims, or you find a competent company,” said Attorney Steve Andrews who is representing the plaintiffs.

The judge dismissed the suit, leaving unemployed Jaquez McCoy at the mercy of friends and family.

“I’m disappointed by it, but we’re not finished. We’re not broken by it. We’re gonna keep fighting and we’re gonna keep on,” said McCoy.

Earlier in the day, outspoken Attorney John Morgan made an offer he said the state couldn’t refuse.

“The unemployment system is broken because we have a computer system that was broken day one,” said Morgan.

He’s offering to go after the contractor who built and installed the state’s unemployment system.

“Governor DeSantis, turn me and my trial team loose, and we’ll recover that money for the state of Florida. You know what I’ll charge you to do this? Zero. Nothing,” said Morgan.

A request for reaction from the Governor’s office went unanswered.

But problems paying claims persist.

At midmorning a call to the hotline was disconnected, but not before a the recording made this announcement.

“At this time we do not have access to claim specific information.”

We have confirmed that some desperate callers to the state’s unemployment hotline are being directed to contact the United Way for assistance.

Justice for those awaiting jury trials has been further delayed, with the Florida Supreme Court extending its suspension until July 2nd.

The Supreme Court first suspended jury trials starting in mid-March.

The latest extension means justice will be delayed 3 1/2 months for those awaiting trial by their peers.

“This statewide halting of jury trails for months on end is pretty unprecedented,” said Sumayya Saleh with the Southern Poverty Law Center.

The have been local efforts by some like Jack Campbell, State Attorney of Florida’s 2nd Judicial Circuit, to prevent cases from piling up, by reducing arrests for minor offenses and releasing some low level offenders.

“We’ve been very busy trying to get those people we can out,” said Campbell.

Statewide there were 43,379 arrests in March and just 21,985 in April according to numbers we received from The Florida Department of Law Enforcement.

It’s a 50 percent reduction, but Saleh points out those convicted of more serious crimes are stuck in a legal limbo.

“There’s still thousands of people locked up in jails around the state and those thousands of people all have jury trial rights,” said Saleh.

And Campbell agrees, there’s going to be a massive backlog.

“It’s very rare that the system works without that ultimate deciding factor,” said Campbell.

The Supreme Court’s latest order does expand the types of proceedings that can be conducted virtually, including common hearings like traffic ticket challenges.

If you have any legal dispute that can be settled virtually the sooner you do so there better.

It could prevent you from getting caught in the backlog when jury trials resume and it can help those awaiting justice settle their cases faster.

“We’re trying to get all that done, so that when we do become live again we will be able to dedicate all our time and resources to doing those jury trials,” said Campbell.

And some of the virtual proceedings may be here to stay.

A workgroup has been tasked with recommending what can stay online even after the pandemic ends.

Here’s the list of court proceedings now allowed to be conducted virtually:

• Non-jury trials, except that all parties must agree to remote non-jury proceedings in criminal, juvenile delinquency, and termination of parental rights cases;
• Alternate dispute resolution cases;
• Status, case management, and pretrial conferences in all case types;
• Non-evidentiary and evidentiary motion hearings in all case types;
• Arraignments and pleas in absentia in county court misdemeanor cases;
• Hearings in juvenile delinquency cases;
• Hearings in noncriminal traffic infraction cases; and
• Problem-solving court staffings, hearings, and wellness checks.

Florida is making progress paying unemployment claims, but the system remains far from perfect.

The outcry is continuing over unpaid claims.

One out of nine working Floridians has now filed for unemployment as the number of unique claims tops one million.

Since April 15th when new leadership took over, 438,000 claims have been paid.

That’s ten times more than in the previous four weeks.

“The numbers are starting to look much better,” said Governor Ron DeSantis.

But the number of claims paid amounts to just under 46 percent of the unique claims submitted.

“The two main issues that were causing complaints are pin problems and the unavailability of a link for certain claim weeks,” said former DEO Director Jesse Panuccio.

That quote is from 2013, but it still rings true with users today.

Now, the Governor has ordered his inspector general to investigate why the system costs so much and delivers so little.

“The total amount of costs were $77.9 million. The contract was amended 14 different times during this,” said DeSantis.

In a written statement, Deloitte who contracted with the state for the system told us:

”Florida is a state in which Deloitte has made significant investments to strengthen the economy and contribute to the communities in which thousands of our professionals live and work. We care deeply about our Florida clients and the people they serve. We built the CONNECT system to comply with Florida’s specific requirements and the state accepted the system. When we completed our work in 2015, CONNECT was vastly outperforming the systems it replaced and accurately processing reemployment assistance claims faster than ever before. All IT systems require ongoing maintenance, and since Deloitte has not worked on CONNECT in five years, we do not know how, or even if, the technology has been maintained. What we do know is that other IT systems we developed are performing well during this unprecedented surge in demand, and we are currently working collaboratively with several states to provide critical benefits to millions of workers and their families.”

If your claim is still pending, we are told it could be because there is a problem with your social security number, your boss hasn’t verified your wages, your address is out of state, or they suspect fraud.

Meanwhile, Twitter is blowing up with angry unemployed residents.

The Governor said that’s one way to get the agency’s attention.
“When the agency sees folks who get quoted in the press or so some stuff on social media about it, they will actually look up and try to find the individuals in the system,” said DeSantis.

And the Governor advises you to call the helpline as a last resort.

The number is 1-833-352-7759.

Restaurants in all but three Florida counties were able to open their doors to dine-in customers Monday.

It comes a month and a half after the Governor ordered restaurants to close their dining areas and customers Eli Nortelus in Tallahassee are now returning to their favorite eateries.

“It’s a safe move. I’ve still got my mask, we’re staying six feet apart,” said Nortelus.

There are a number of restrictions.

Paper menus, social distancing, no parties larger than ten and the biggest catch: Restaurants can only operate at 25 percent capacity.

“It’s a start,” said Geoff Luebkemann, Vice President of the Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association.

Looking at data from other states that have moved to open, the Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association expects to see only 25 to 30 percent of restaurants reopen.

“Some of our members are taking advantage of a gradual ramp up to clean, get ready, get systems back in place and in order. While others as you point out, have made a business choice to wait until they have a little more capacity,” said Luebkemann.

Nathan Line, a Hospitality Professor at FSU, is more optimistic.

“I do think it makes sense to open up. You know a lot of restaurants have managed to do well enough over the past two months with just takeout,” said Line.

While experts we spoke with say opening makes sense for restaurants in cities like the state capital, in cities more dependent on tourism, opening may be harder to justify financially.

“With hotels remaining at very small occupancies or even closed and certainly some of our larger attractions around the state, it really does come down to geography,” said Luebkemann.

And experts said this initial reopening will act as a sort of test.

The state will be watching case numbers closely.

A large enough spike could close dinning rooms once again.

A task force report commissioned by the Governor recommends allowing restaurants to operate at 75 percent capacity and bars at 50 percent in Phase Two, but the Governor will make the final call.

If you sitting around bored as the stay at home order begins to ease, you might think about searching for treasure.

Not buried treasure, but unclaimed property being held by the state.

After accounts have been inactive for seven years, state law requires banks and others to turn over the unclaimed assets to the state.

The state reports it’s holding property for one in five Floridians.

“And I just put in my name and started searching,” said Radio Personality Shane Collins.

Collins got bored during the pandemic, searched fltreasurehunt.gov on a lark, and hit the jackpot.

“And literally, I don’t mind telling you, thousands of dollars in my name that I had no clue about. If I had not searched that website, I would not have found that money,” said Collins.

Along with individuals, 1.3 million businesses have unclaimed property totaling almost half a billion dollars.

“I put in my name. My first name, my middle initial. And then I did it with my middle initial and my last name, and it pulled up different accounts all across the state of Florida where I had worked in broadcasting. Or where I had lived, made business transactions,” said Collins.

Collins says the good fortune couldn’t have come at a better time.

“I couldn’t believe the amount of money that was sitting in the state for years. The state fund for years. An d now it’s coming back to me and my family at the perfect time. We are so grateful,” said Collins.

The real property ends up in a vault in the state capital.

It’s usually auctioned in the Spring, but this year’s auction has been delayed until Fall.

And fear not, if the state has already sold your treasure, you’re still entitled to the money that it brought in.

The proceeds from any property or cash not claimed goes into the state education fund.

And there is more good news.

You never lose the ability to claim what’s rightfully yours, even decades later.

Florida’s Reopen Task Force has set a goal to open schools this Fall.

Now school boards, superintendents and teachers are faced with the difficult task of figuring out how to make it happen and keep students and faculty safe.

Just four sentences of the state’s 32 page reopening plan are dedicated to education.

It calls for schools to reopen, but doesn’t describe what that would look like.

We asked Leon County School Superintendent Rocky Hanna what he’s been able to extrapolate from what the state has put out so far.

“Quite honestly not a lot,” said Hanna.

Hanna is grappling with how to social distance in schools.

It poses some huge challenges.

“Do you go to put 50 or 60 kids on a school bus and how is that social distancing? What do things look like in the cafeteria?” said Hanna.

One idea Hanna floated would be to stagger schedules.

Half of students would be in the classroom one day and switch to distance learning the next.

The CDC has put out its own guidance for safety in the classroom.

It recommends staggering arrival times of students, restricting access of nonessential visitors and maintaining social distancing on busses, in classrooms and cafeterias.

But nothing is set in stone yet.

The Florida School Boards Association told us, there likely won’t be one end all plan.

Instead, FSBA Executive Director Andrea Messina asserts schools and parents must be prepared to adapt.

“Next year is going to be what I would dub, a laboratory year,” said Messina. “Ideally everything is going to be just like it was at the beginning of this Fall. That would be plan A, but let’s say it doesn’t work like that. Then we have plan B and let’s say that doesn’t work. Then we have plan C.”

Along with the logistical challenges, the Florida Education Association, the state’s largest teachers union, is focused on ensuring the safety of vulnerable teachers and students.

“If we have teachers that are of age that are 60 years or older… and more importantly if we have our students and our children that have underlying conditions,” said FEA President Fedrick Ingram.

So far, the union has been left out of reopening discussions.

It’s planning its own reopening task force, which will be announced next week.