Biden administration begins reimbursing Florida districts that had funds held over mask mandates

What they're saying: "The funding will help districts keep these measures in place and maintain district and school stability despite the financial penalty," Education Secretary Miguel Cardona said in a statement.

• "With these grants, we're making sure schools and communities across the country that are committed to safely returning to in-person learning know that we have their backs."

State of play: The U.S. Department of Education announced in August that it had launched investigations into five GOP-led states — Iowa, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee and Utah — that banned mask mandates in schools.