Alachua County Public Schools is the first district in the nation to receive a federal grant to support mask requirements in classrooms. The grant was announced as part of President Joe Biden’s COVID-19 action plan, which would provide additional funding for school districts who were penalized for having enacted COVID-19 protections for staff and students. The U.S. Department of Education awarded $148,000 to the Florida district on September 20. The Florida Department of Education began withholding funds from the district at the end of August. Nearly $27,000 has been withheld from the district by the state thus far.