Texas School District Declares Masks Part Of Dress Code
Could this be a way of getting around Governor Greg Abbott's executive order that bans school districts from imposing mask mandates? The Paris Independent School District will now require students to wear masks as part of a dress code.
I actually discussed this on my radio show recently. Schools have been able to impose uniforms and dress codes for a while. When I was in High School, our dress code did not allow students to wear shoe laces that weren't white, brown, or black due to gangs in the area. After Columbine, we couldn't wear trench coats.
Paris ISD is now taking the school dress code one step further. Masks for all in order to "mitigate communicable health issues".
According to NPR, the school district is arguing that the Governor doesn't have the right to go above the Board of Trustees duty to manage the public schools.
"The Texas Governor does not have the authority to usurp the Board of Trustees' exclusive power and duty to govern and oversee the management of the public schools of the district," it continued.
"Nothing in the Governor's Executive Order 38 states he has suspended Chapter 11 of the Texas Education Code, and therefore the Board has elected to amend its dress code consistent with its statutory authority."
No word yet about this policy from the Governor's office on how this will be handled or if this is indeed a loophole in the Governor's executive order. If this is able to stand, look for more school districts to put the rule into their school dress code.