TAMPA (WFLA) – Hillsborough County school officials said they still are not certain how much they will lose in state funding for passing a mask mandate during the pandemic.

State Representative Randy Fine represents southern Brevard County and also serves as the chairman of the K-12 Appropriations Committee.

Fine sought to financially penalize 12 school districts across Florida passed a mask mandate.

Among those 12 school districts is Hillsborough County. School Board Chair Nadia Combs said the state law that Fine helped pass will hurt teachers, but not students of programs.

Combs said the state will withhold funding from the “A-plus recognition program” that rewards teachers in staff in schools that maintain or improve their school rating.

“So that would mean that a teacher who worked very hard, who kept schools open, that could do whatever they could through the pandemic and helped those students increase their grade, they would not be eligible for those funds,” said Combs.

School Superintendent Addison Davis said the loss could be significant.

“It’s around $9 million. That money is linked to school recognition money,” Davis said.

Combs said the school district should find out by the end of the year exactly what the financial impact will be.